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How should we be assessing our learners?
At the beginning of the discussion week I posed a number of (deliberately contradictory) statements with the intention of prompting you to give your opinion, share your experiences/wisdom and or ask a question. Only a few people responded i prefer to think this was lack of time and post Christmas exhaustion rather than apathy so I would like to take this opportunity to recap the contributors' points and voice my own thoughts.
Rosalie and Juliet commented on the value of an external test being included in a portfolio system to give global currency to the achievements of the learner. in addition they felt the external test would also have a positive effect on motivation and self-esteem as well as perhaps being more objective than teacher assessment. They feel different forms of assessment can complement each other and need not be a source of conflict. i must concur with this as external tests and Portfolios are not mutually exclusive. The real value of a Portfolio system is its flexibility, certificates can be included and the contents reflect the achievements of each individual.
Can I remind you through this discussion of the differences between testing, evaluation and assessment as so clearly defined by Larissa Sardiko. (ELTECS-L Digest contribution forwarded to the YL SIG 16.12.01).
a) testing -a means of checking learning that has taken place with respect to a specified teaching context or input, often by means of a particular task. The results are usually concrete and can be expressed qualitatively e.g. as a mark or percentage.
b) evaluation -a global view of achievement of the teaching and learning process over a period of time, e.g. analysis of the success or failure of a teaching approach, course book, pupil response, motivation, etc.
c) assessment -an attempt to analyse the learning that a child has achieved over a period of time as a result of the classroom teaching/learning situation. It does not need to be based on a particular task, nor is it usually expressed by a mark or percentage. It may include subjective (teacher) opinion of the achievement of the child in terms of attitude, participation, socialization, general cognitive and physical development, etc. It may also be expressed "relatively" in that the progress of an individual child can be measured against his/her starting points and abilities rather than compared against the skills and abilities of other children as in the traditional testing situation.
These definitions remind us of the different purposes and perspectives, which can be applied when critically "assessing" a learner. They are also reflected in the two basic sets of reasons for language assessment (Dr Hargreaves, "Keeping sight of the individual in Language Testing", EAQUALS conference, Trieste 2001). i.e.:
To motivate learners
To facilitate comparisons with a) other learners ("norm-referencing") b) an explicit standard or set of criteria (criterion-referencing), c) at one point in time with another point in time.
Purposes of language assessment:
to assist placement of students
to diagnose students' strengths and weaknesses
to see how far the students have achieved the objectives of the course of study
to measure language proficiency independently of any course followed.
We as teachers are often faced with the dichotomy of facilitating learning, building the confidence of our burgeoning learners etc. and demands to demonstrate levels of achievement to parents/employers/government officials. This sometimes means that our classroom practice -based on sound pedagogic principles does not match the testing and assessment system used within the institution.
Sandie's experience illustrated beautifully the impact of genuine interest in her learners. There was a complete U turn in their motivation when the students' opinions were valued.
As a final plea, I would (only) ask that we avoid confusion, we need to be clear on: what we are assessing, why and how. We must ensure that the means used are appropriate and fair in order to avoid the crude labelling of individual children, which may result in a crushing experience for the child and be detrimental to future learning potential and motivation.
For reflection you might enjoy the following poem, which perhaps encapsulates how we should view our students especially the young learners.
A rose is a rose
when we plant a rose seed
in the earth,
we notice that it is small,
but we do not criticize it as
"rootless and stemless":
we treat it as a seed,
giving it the water and nourishment
required of a seed.
When it first shoots up out of the earth,
we don't condemn it
as immature and underdeveloped;
nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear.
We stand in wonder at
the process taking place and give the plant
the care it needs
at each stage of its development.
the rose is a rose from the time it is a seed
to the time it dies.
within it, at all times
it contains its whole potential.
it seems to be
constantly in the process of change;
yet at each state,
at each moment,
it is perfectly all right
as it is.
ALTE: the site for the Association of Language Testers in Europe. It also has a useful glossary.
Alternative
Assessment and Second Language Study: What and Why?
Cambridge
Young Learners English Tests : Description of the tests and downloadable
handbooks and
reports
My
Languages Portfolio - Teacher's Guide: the European Language Portfolio
explained and the
portfolio for the children (these documents
are in pdf format). See also EAQUALS.
Practical Ideas on Alternative
Assessment for ESL Students
Self-Assessment
Forms: clear, to the point... Especially for large classes.
Assessment
and Evaluation: with early adolescents in mind. Guidelines, principles,
examples...Not EFL, but could be useful.
Guidelines for Using Portfolio Assessment in Teaching English: very comprehensive.
Using Multiple Intelligences in Testing and Assessment: from teachervision. See also other assessment resources, including "authentic assessment"
Using Rubrics to help assessment: lots of links...interesting, but be prepared to browse and explore...See some examples of kid-friendly rubrics
