Washback and Alternative Assessment

What is washback? The extent to which a test affects teaching and learning What teachers and learners do that they would not usually do if there were no tests Participants, processes and products affected by washback Washback can be either positive or negative

Positive Washback “Learning more” and “preparing for the test” doesn’t necessarily mean positive washback Promoting positive washback Test the abilities that we want to develop Use direct testing Test widely and unpredictably Criterion referenced Based on teaching and learning objectives

Alternative Assessments Assessment procedures that are not like traditional tests with respect to format, performance or implementation Different from traditional tests

Traditional vs Alternative One shot Continuous and longitudinal Indirect Direct Inauthentic Authentic Individual projects Group projects No feedback to learners Feedback to learners Speeded Power Decontextualised tasks Contextualised tasks Norm-referenced score reporting Criterion-referenced score reporting Standardised tests Classroom-based tests Summative Formative Product of instruction Process of instruction Intrusive Integrated Judgemental Developmental Teacher proof Teacher mediated

What should alternative assessments do? Ask Ss to perform, create, produce or do something Tap higher level thinking skills Use tasks that are meaningful Invoke real world applications People, not machines, do the scoring Require new instructional and assessment roles for teachers

Limitations Claimed advantages are not research proven Limited to the classroom Alternatives in assessment

Portfolios

What is a Portfolio? A purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the students’ efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas (Paulson and Meyer, 1991, p. 60) Collection of works stored in folders will have little value to teachers and students To be useful, careful consideration must be given to:

What goes into a portfolio? The process of selecting what goes into the portfolio; and how the information in the portfolio is used Sample of student work Typical work or best work or evidence of development? Bailey – four major elements/components Introduction/overview Academic works section Personal section Assessment section

Selecting work Student led or teacher directed? Select work that can provide additional information. Not repetition of already available work.

Main objectives of portfolios Assessment Promote Learning/development – basis for teacher-student conference

What should the portfolio do/have? Portfolio should have value to both teacher and student Provide information beyond that provided by tests Require students to construct responses Require students to apply their knowledge Allow for the integration of language skills

CONTENTS ILLUSTRATING STUDENT PROGRESS SAMPLE PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS FORM DATE: 5/1/92 STUDENT: Marisel A. TEACHER: Jones GRADE: 4 EDUCATIONAL GOAL: Student demonstrates ability on variety of writing tasks PERFORMANCE TASK CONTENTS ILLUSTRATING STUDENT PROGRESS DATE * Demonstrates interest and ability in variety of writing Literacy development Checklist 3/20/02 * Writes a short story Writing Sample: Dog Story 4/22/02 * Writes to communicate with others Letter Dialog Journal 4/10/02 3/31/02 * Expresses writing Preferences Self-Assessment of Writing 4/24/02 * Shares writing with others Anecdotal record 4/6/02 Summary Comments: _____________________________________________________________

Problems/Challenges Logistics Interpretation Design Reliability

Self Assessment and Peer Assessment

Self Assessment Teacher modelling of use of metacognitive processes and skills required How can it help students? Student trial/practice of assessment skills Introduction to relevant assessment criteria Clarification of abstract assessment criteria Use of self assessment during rather than at the end of instructional unit Example: DIALANG – students write and then compare to models (6 models indicating 6 levels)

Peer assessment: How does it help students? Reminds learners they are not working in isolation Helps create a community of learners Improves the product Improves the process; motivates and even inspires Helps learners be reflective Stimulates meta-cognition

Some Limitations Not common to all cultures Tendency for some teachers to ask students to self-mark, not self-assess The system must be supportive – e.g. test feedback and information so that students can self-assess Students tend to assess higher than their actual abilities? Students not used to assessing peers