By Olga ObzhylianCherkasy Lyceum of Humanities and Law

2013

“Setting appropriate assessment tasks is a principle of good teaching.”

Paul

Ramsden

“Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. The central purpose of assessment is to provide information on student achievement and progress and set the direction for ongoing teaching and learning. (NSWET, 2008)

Evaluation is decision making about student performance and about appropriate teaching strategies.

When assessing students, teachers gather, summarise and interpret data to determine which strategies to implement in an effort to further enhance the learning experiences for the student

When evaluating students, teachers gather, summarise and interpret data to determine the students’ mastery of content and the effectiveness of the teaching strategies.

In the intent of use: Choose assessment when you

wish to determine educational strategies.

Choose evaluation when shaping student knowledge, belief and behaviour through understanding of performance

Initial, formative, summativeObjective and subjectiveInformal and formal

Initial assessment is conducted prior to instruction to establish a baseline from which individual student growth can be measured

Formative assessment = assessment for learning

happens during the lesson is carried out through a course or

project.allows students to benefit from the

teacher’s feedback while the lesson is still happening

can tell teachers where to go next (review, spend more time, move on)

Summative assessment =assessment of learning

•Can happen at the end of a unit, school year, etc.•Tells the teacher whether the student has mastered the objective•Helps shape future instructional plans

Student involved assessment (students are not passive but are engaged in developing the assessment, determining what a good performance entails, and learning to score through models provided by the teacher)

Effective teacher feedback (feedback should be clear, descriptive and illustrated for students. Students need guidance in giving their peers feedback)

The skills of self-assessment (AFL should lead to self-directed learning, which requires learners to evaluate themselves. Students should be asked to think about their goals, their current ability and how to work from one to the other)

Reliability relates to the consistency of an assessment and is based on the following:

Temporal stabilityForm equivalence Internal consistency

Validity relates to the accuracy of an assessment

“A test must be reliable in order to be valid…However, reliability will not guarantee validity. (Woolfolk, 2005)

Methods of Assessing Methods of Assessing LanguageLanguage

Example (from Laser B1, p.66 WB)

Choose the correct option (a, b or c)

1.Manchester United…Oxford City easily in yesterday’s match.a beat b won c lost2. If we…this game, we’ll be in the final!a beat b win c gain3. Our opponents were far better so we…the game. a scored b lostc missed4. Ronaldo has the ball and…a terrific goal! What a player!a scores b makes c wins5. Both teams played well but in the end they…one all.a drew b scored c beat6. Carlo…a prize in the surfing competition.a scored b beat c won

Example( from Exam Activator, p.19)

You are going to hear a radio news programme. Complete the gaps 1-4 with a maximum of two words.

Politics:Mr Jack Prune is said to have spent public money during his Italian (1)……….. .

Economy: The scientists have found that we are wealthier now and enjoy (2)…….. .

Entertainment:The Rolling Stones concert is supposed to begin at (3)……..p.m.

Weather:The roads in the northern part of the country may be (4)….and blocked by fallen trees.

Rubric on Group ActivityCriteria

Promptness to assemble and finish task on time – 2,5 points

Members’ cooperation in the discussion and work – 2,5 points

Clarity and smoothness in the discussion of the topic with the class – 2,5points

Use of English in the discussion – 2,5 points

Total points - 10

Writing RubricTopic sentence______2

pointsConcluding sentence__2

pointsUnity___________3 pointsDevelopment_____5 pointsOrder of ideas and linking

words_________4 pointsGrammar_________4 pointsVocabulary

________4pointsTotal points - 24

Challenges teachers Challenges teachers facefacechallenges problem solution

Language level

low proficiency students;Tasks complex and confusing to complete; Producing the language difficult and limited

Use L1 in instructions and feedback;Write clear or familiar tasks;Prior to the assessment let students practise;Only ask for short performances

Feedback Direct assessment takes more time to score;Feedback should be understandable and clear for students

Using a scoring rubric;Sharing the rubric with students before the test; students use the rubric to rate their own performance

Score interpretation

Many factors can impact the students’ performance

Warm-up before the test; give choices; collect multiple measures

•Placement evaluation•Formative evaluation•Diagnostic evaluation•Summative evaluation

Written examinationOral examinationPractical examinationObservationInterviewsQuestionnaireCheck listRating Scale