Testing and Assessment: Practice at Taitung’s Schools Chao-ming Chen Department of English, NCCU 2015/9/18

Teaching, Learning and Testing  Using tests for placement and diagnostic reasons  Using tests to assess students’ proficiency  Using tests for achievement check  Using tests to motivate students’ learning  Using tests 2015/9/18 2

A Washback Effect  To change instructional programs and teaching practices  To develop students’ autonomous learning abilities 2015/9/18 3

Types of Tests  Proficiency test  Achievement test  Aptitude test: 2015/9/18 4

Testing Strategies  Norm-referenced Testing: Proficiency  TOEIC, TOEFL, etc.  Classifying students by percentile for measuring either aptitude or proficiency  Criterion-referenced Testing: achievement  GEPT, Monthly or term exams, etc.  A locally produced achievement test, measures absolute performance that is compared only with the learning objective 2015/9/18 5

Steps of developing achievement tests  Setting up learning objectives  Deciding the testing objectives: diagnostics, achievements, or others  Choosing the appropriate testing styles: oral, written, or performative?  Designing the testing formats: multiple choice, matching, blank-filling, writing, or others  Identifying the benchmark (or passing grades)  Pre-testing  Constructing the testing instruments  Anticipating the testing results 2015/9/18 6

Examples: Testing alphabets  /9/18 7

Examples: testing alphabets  Order the alphabets  acfgbed: ____________  becfgad: ____________  Type the alphabets: A ___ C ____ _____ F  Match and Identify: Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff  See and Remember: A b F f e G c  Hear and Remember: Fe Gg  Alphabet games (fun): Group games 2015/9/18 8

From tests to assessment  Tests are given at a single point in time while assessments are continuous, ongoing evaluation.  Tests are more formal while assessments are in free and flexible forms  Tests are usually announced so students can prepare for them; assessments are usually unannounced because the purpose is to informally check on students’ progress  Tests are often achievement checks on a unit of instruction; assessment are typically designed to check students’ progress informally (purpose is to see what students need to have re-taught or need to practice more)  Tests are mainly designed to result in a grade or test score; assessments tend to deemphasize the grade or score score.  Tests employ typical test item formats which include multiple choice, correct answers, and other ways of evaluating students; assessments usually use rubrics to evaluate students’ performance in languages  Tests are not contextualized while assessments are usually contextualized. 2015/9/18 9

Which is more effective in language learning?  Teaching objectives vs. Learning objectives  Diagnostics vs. Achievement  Evaluation vs. motivation  Tests vs. assessments  Assessments vs. worksheets  Questions: Why do we need testing results or scores? 2015/9/18 10

Worksheets as assessments: Lesson One, the third grade  What’s seven plus five? It’s twelve.  Good! What’s seven plus eleven?  I don’t know.  Numbers: six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, etc.  t, d.  Let’s repeat, let’s sing, let’s write  Teaching objectives:  Numbers, adding numbers, pronunciation, spelling  Learning objectives:  Counting numbers  Recognizing numbers  Spelling the numbers 2015/9/18 11

How to assess?  Teaching practice  Oral practice  Flash cards  Spelling  Counting  Singing  Worksheets as assessments  To design worksheets for different purposes 2015/9/18 12

Worksheets: Theory and Practice  Review and practice  Diagnostic instrument  Learning control (or teaching control)  Achievement tests  Learning by doing  Situated Learning 2015/9/18 13

Worksheets and proficiency  Spiral learning model  A pragmatic tool, not a cognitive one  An overall assessment or a task review  Task-oriented learning  Autonomous and ongoing learning  Proficiency, not achievement testing 2015/9/18 14

Examples: Grammar Focus (Past Tense)  What did you (he, she, they) do yesterday (last Sunday, this morning)?  I (He, She, They) had a picnic (swam) yesterday (last Sunday, this morning).  Worksheet design  Test design  Assessment design 2015/9/18 15

Practice: Did you collect stamps?  Yes, I did. I collected stamps.  No, I didn’t. I didn’t (did not) collect stamps.  Worksheets  Tests  Assessments 2015/9/18 16

Questions and Comments! 2015/9/18 17