Four Basic Principles to Four Basic Principles to Follow: Follow:

Test what was taught.Test what was taught. Test in a way that reflects Test in a way that reflects

way in which it was taught. way in which it was taught. Focus on what students Focus on what students can can do do

instead of what they can’t do. instead of what they can’t do. Capture creative use of language by Capture creative use of language by

students. students.

Summative vs. Formative Summative vs. Formative AssessmentsAssessments

Summative – tends to occur at the end of a Summative – tends to occur at the end of a course or end of a period of instruction. course or end of a period of instruction. Final examFinal exam Unit examUnit exam

Formative – is ongoing; designed to provide Formative – is ongoing; designed to provide regular feedback about students’ progress.regular feedback about students’ progress. QuizzesQuizzes Classroom activitiesClassroom activities

Characteristics of Standards-Characteristics of Standards-Based Authentic AssessmentBased Authentic Assessment

It is contextualized.It is contextualized. It mirrors the tasks and challenges It mirrors the tasks and challenges

faced by individuals in the real world. faced by individuals in the real world. It engages students in meaningful It engages students in meaningful

communication. communication. It requires a performance of some It requires a performance of some

type. type.

Characteristics of Standards-Characteristics of Standards-Based Authentic AssessmentBased Authentic Assessment

It encourages divergent responses and It encourages divergent responses and creativity. creativity.

It can be adapted to serve as either It can be adapted to serve as either formative or summative assessments. formative or summative assessments.

It addresses at least one mode of It addresses at least one mode of communication (interpersonal, communication (interpersonal, interpretive, or presentational). interpretive, or presentational).

It can be used or adapted to address It can be used or adapted to address goal areas and standards. goal areas and standards.

Interactive Model for Interactive Model for TestingTesting

Tests should assess the students’ Tests should assess the students’ ability to: ability to: Apply the structures of the language Apply the structures of the language in a meaningful context. in a meaningful context. Use one’s comprehension of the text Use one’s comprehension of the text to produce something or express one’s to produce something or express one’s self.self.Express meaning in one’s own words. Express meaning in one’s own words.

ProficiencyProficiency

How well one is able to use the How well one is able to use the language meaningfully and with language meaningfully and with fluency when presented with a fluency when presented with a communicative situation. communicative situation.

Mastery (Achievement)Mastery (Achievement)

How well one has learned a body of How well one has learned a body of materials that was taught. materials that was taught.

Standardized tests tend to test an Standardized tests tend to test an individual’s mastery of individual’s mastery of a body of information. a body of information.

Prochievement FormatProchievement Format

Format that combines knowledge of Format that combines knowledge of grammatical structure grammatical structure (achievement) with proficiency (achievement) with proficiency along a continuum. along a continuum.

Students are allowed some Students are allowed some creativity in responding, but are creativity in responding, but are provided some vocabulary to use provided some vocabulary to use while paying attention to while paying attention to grammatical structures. grammatical structures.

Prochievement FormatProchievement Format

May be oral or written. May be oral or written. Usually focus on a specific grammar point. Usually focus on a specific grammar point. Formats include:Formats include:

– Role playsRole plays– Paired interviewedPaired interviewed– Picture descriptionsPicture descriptions

Focus on structure and limited creativity Focus on structure and limited creativity with the language. with the language.

Examples can be found in Figures 11.4 and Examples can be found in Figures 11.4 and 11.5. 11.5.

Performance-Based Performance-Based FormatFormat

This format requires students to This format requires students to demonstrate their level of competence by demonstrate their level of competence by creating a product or a response, either creating a product or a response, either individually or with others. individually or with others.

Uses prompts that can be questions or Uses prompts that can be questions or scenarios that require the student to find scenarios that require the student to find relationships among concepts.relationships among concepts.

Used for assessing global (holistic) Used for assessing global (holistic) communication.communication.

May be oral or written.May be oral or written.

Performance-Based Performance-Based FormatFormat

Does not specify L2 words to use in the Does not specify L2 words to use in the response. response.

There is much more flexibility in response There is much more flexibility in response than with prochievement test items. than with prochievement test items.

There can be more than one right answer.There can be more than one right answer. ExamplesExamples: Figure 11.6, Figure 11.7, PALS : Figure 11.6, Figure 11.7, PALS

Project on pp. 336 and 367 of text, Task-Project on pp. 336 and 367 of text, Task-Based instruction activities in Chapter 8 Based instruction activities in Chapter 8 and 9 of text. and 9 of text.

Interactive Model for Interactive Model for Assessing Interpretive Assessing Interpretive

CommunicationCommunication This strategy assesses interpretive reading, This strategy assesses interpretive reading,

listening, and viewing.listening, and viewing. Learners demonstrate literal comprehension of Learners demonstrate literal comprehension of

key information in the text, develop inferences, key information in the text, develop inferences, and share their personal points of view. and share their personal points of view.

This format can test learners on their This format can test learners on their interpretive listening/reading/viewing abilities; interpretive listening/reading/viewing abilities; grammatical, lexical, and cultural knowledge; grammatical, lexical, and cultural knowledge; ability to interact with the text; and ability to interact with the text; and presentational writing, all within the framework presentational writing, all within the framework of a real context. of a real context.

Interactive Model for Interactive Model for Assessing Interpretive Assessing Interpretive

CommunicationCommunication A text-based test item requires the students A text-based test item requires the students

to find factual answers to specific questions to find factual answers to specific questions using information from the text. using information from the text.

An item that focuses on reader-based An item that focuses on reader-based processing will requires the student to make processing will requires the student to make inferences, formulate main ideas, or to inferences, formulate main ideas, or to evaluate the text. evaluate the text.

The above items can also be modified when The above items can also be modified when using video or audio clips. using video or audio clips.

Examples: Bottom of p. 369 and top of 370 of Examples: Bottom of p. 369 and top of 370 of text; Interactive Text Item from German test. text; Interactive Text Item from German test.

Authentic and Standards-Authentic and Standards-Based AssessmentBased Assessment

Tests the learner’s knowledge and abilities in Tests the learner’s knowledge and abilities in real-world situations. real-world situations.

Requires judgment and creativity.Requires judgment and creativity. Provides the greatest amount of creativity and Provides the greatest amount of creativity and

proficiency in the language. proficiency in the language. Asks the student to perform rather than recite Asks the student to perform rather than recite

information. information. Simulates the contexts in which adults are Simulates the contexts in which adults are

“tested” in the workplace so that students “tested” in the workplace so that students address an actual audience. The teacher is not address an actual audience. The teacher is not the only audience. the only audience.

Authentic and Standards-Authentic and Standards-Based AssessmentBased Assessment

Authentic tests are like performance-Authentic tests are like performance-based tests except that they have the based tests except that they have the additional dimension of a real-life context additional dimension of a real-life context and audience. and audience.

Authentic tasks require students to create Authentic tasks require students to create their product with a specific audience in their product with a specific audience in mind. mind.

Authentic tasks reflect real-life challenges. Authentic tasks reflect real-life challenges. ExampleExample: Figure 11.10 on p. 372.: Figure 11.10 on p. 372.

PortfoliosPortfolios

Research has indicated that the Research has indicated that the instructional value of portfolios comes instructional value of portfolios comes from the process of the students from the process of the students assembling and maintaining a assembling and maintaining a personal portfolio. personal portfolio.

Ideally, portfolios encourage Ideally, portfolios encourage students to critically think students to critically think about what has and is being about what has and is being learned. learned.

Guidelines for Using Guidelines for Using PortfoliosPortfolios

Content should reflect course objectives. Content should reflect course objectives. Students should date everything that Students should date everything that

goes into their portfolio. goes into their portfolio. Determine what materials are to be Determine what materials are to be

included and criteria for inclusion and included and criteria for inclusion and promptly share that information with the promptly share that information with the students. students.

Give students the responsibility for Give students the responsibility for portfolio maintenance. portfolio maintenance.

How to Test Students How to Test Students OrallyOrally

Test only part of the class orally on Test only part of the class orally on each chapter or unit, ensuring that at each chapter or unit, ensuring that at the end of the grading period every the end of the grading period every student has been tested the same student has been tested the same number of times. number of times.

Conduct oral testing over several days. Conduct oral testing over several days. While conducting oral testing, have the While conducting oral testing, have the

rest of the class complete a reading or rest of the class complete a reading or writing activity. writing activity.

How to Grade Oral TestsHow to Grade Oral Tests

Decide what you are going to test Decide what you are going to test (grammatical accuracy, communication (grammatical accuracy, communication of meaning, fluency, etc.).of meaning, fluency, etc.).

Develop a rubric. Develop a rubric. Inform students of the criteria ahead of Inform students of the criteria ahead of

time. time. Inform students of the purpose of the Inform students of the purpose of the

testing situation and describe what testing situation and describe what they will be expected to do with the L2. they will be expected to do with the L2.