Traditional or Performance Assessment: What is the Right Way in Assessing Leaners?

Assessment is one of the critical components of classroom instruction. People within the educational community, which includes policymakers, educators, students, parents, administrators, have different ideas regarding the implementation of assessment strategies. While some believe traditional assessment methods are more effective, others are of the view that performance and portfolio assessment tools are superior. Alternative assessment started being used as a means for educational reform due to the increasing awareness of the influence of testing on curriculum and instruction. Currently, “traditional assessment, which is generally called testing, is challenged by alternative assessment approaches. Which form of the assessment procedure is appropriate in assessing learners? Traditional or alternative assessment procedures? This paper seeks to compare traditional assessment procedures (e.g., multiple choice and essay) with performance and portfolio assessments with the view of unearthing which assessment procedure should be adopted in this current generation. Keywords: Alternative assessment, performance assessment, multiple choice, portfolio assessment