Why do we assess?

Definitions of Assessment «Assessment refers to all those activities undertaken by teachers and their students in assessing themselves which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged» i.e. Assessment involves teachers and students Assessment activities include both the classroom tests and daily assessments teachers use in classroom and the large-scale tests, such as TOEFL, IELTS, etc

Dimensions of assessment Mainly three dimensions: Assessment OF learning Assessment FOR learning Assessment AS learning

Assessment OF learning (AoL) (Summative Assessment) Happens after learning has occured as an evidence of achievement AoL is used to plan future learning goals and pathways for students provides evidence of achievement to the wider community, including parents, educators, the students themselves and outside groups provides a transparent interpretation across all audiences.

Assessment FOR learning (AfL) (Formative Assessment) Process of seeking and interpreting evidence; Occurs throughout the teaching/learning process AfL reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better, rather than just achieve a better mark involves formal and informal assessment activities as part of learning and to inform the planning of future learning includes clear goals for the learning activity provides effective feedback that motivates the learner and can lead to improvement reflects a belief that all students can improve encourages self-assessment and peer assessment as part of the regular classroom routines involves teachers, students and parents reflecting on evidence is inclusive of all learners.

Assessment AS Learning (AaL) Occurs when students are their own assessors; they monitor their own learning, ask questions, use strategies… AaL encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning requires students to ask questions about their learning involves teachers and students creating learning goals to encourage growth and development provides ways for students to use formal and informal feedback and self- assessment to help them understand the next steps in learning encourages peer assessment, self-assessment and reflection

High Quality Assessment How do we maintain high quality assessment? 1. ALIGNMENT The degree of agreement among curriculum, instruction, standards, and assessment 2. VALIDITY Validity answers the question to what extent the inferences made from the assessment are appropriate, meaningful and useful in terms of the purpose of the assessment. 3. RELIABILITY A reliable test is consistent and dependable. If a test is given to the same group of students (or matched students) two different times, the tests should yield similar results

5. CONSEQUENCES--WASHBACK 4. FAIRNESS We can achieve it when we provide the students with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievement, and when we use reliable and valid assessment 5. CONSEQUENCES--WASHBACK The use or misuse of assessment results / Effect of testing on teaching (a facet of consequential validity) Washback in large-scale tests: preparing students for these tests: washback (teaching to the test!) Washback in classroom assessment: diagnosing students’ weaknesses and strengths preparation for the assessment 6. PRACTICALITY A practical test Is not excessively expensive Stays within appropriate time constraints Is relatively easy to administer Has a scoring procedure that is specific and time-efficient

TYPES OF TESTS Placement Tests: Purpose is to place a student into a particular level or section of a language curriculum; to create groups of learners that are homogeneous in level. Some proficiency tests can act in the role of placement. It usually includes a sampling of material to be covered in the course. Placement tests come in many varieties: Written and oral performance Open-ended and limited response Multiple-choice and gap-filling, etc

Language Aptitude Tests: Designed to measure capacity and general ability to learn a foreign language. Two such standard tests: Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (PLAB) They are language tests and involve language-related tasks. They do NOT predict communicative success in a language, so they are seldom used today.

Diagnostic Tests: Designed to diagnose specified aspects of a language for further help. E.g. a test in pronunciation might diagnose the phonological features of English that are difficult for learners. Generally, such tests offer a checklist of features for the teacher to use in pinpointing difficulties. A test can have dual purposes: both for placement and diagnostic

Achievement Tests / Progress Tests Directly related to classroom lessons, units, curriculum: Limited to the material in the curriculum. Teacher-produced Administered at various stages throughout a course to see what students have learned; achievement tests are generally administered at mid- and end-point of the semester Progress tests are narrower in focus Can also serve for diagnostic purposes

Proficiency Tests To test global competence in a language. Not limited to one course, curriculum or single skill: it tests overall ability. Generally consists of standardized multiple-choice items on grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and aural comprehension; sometimes with a writing component. They are summative and generally norm-referenced. TOEFL is an example