Making the best use of assessment Waldemar Martyniuk

Problem with assessment – possible reasons  a failure to recognise that assessment needs to fulfil a wide range of legitimate purposes  an assumption that a single assessment tool will be able to serve all needs  a lack of awareness that it is the use made of assessment, not necessarily the assessment process itself, that will largely determine its impact  a tendency to search for universal solutions to assessment issues and neglect the significance of context M. Fleming

Purposes of assessment  to provide a record of achievement  to provide evidence of progress  to motivate learners  to ensure that the needs of all pupils are being addressed (diagnosis and control)  to enable teachers to plan next stages of teaching  “to verify the extent to which the schools meet the requirements to develop pupils’ language competences necessary for successful life long learning”

Approaches to assessment  Assessment of learning (and teaching)  Assessment for learning (and teaching)  Portfolio assessment  Self-assessment  Peer assessment

Making the best use of assessment  The fundamental question is: ‘WHY do we want to have an assessment scheme?’  Suitable assessment solutions and approaches can be offered only once attainment targets (competence standards) have been clearly identified  Only those attainment targets (competence standards) that may be turned into observable behaviour can become the subject of strict assessment procedures (testing tasks/items)  Item- level testing may not be capable of/suitable for handling all of the complexity of LE competences  Self-assessment, introspection and other forms of assessment may well complement item-level testing  Certain aspects of LE (e.g. values) may not be (easily) assessable

Making the best use of assessment  Sampling may be the only feasible option if educational systems (not only individual learners) need to be evaluated  Introducing standards and assessment schemes should be both a top-down procedure (reflecting the needs of decision makers) and a bottom-up process (reflecting the needs of learners and teachers)  Standards and assessment schemes should be promoted as supporting tools as well as control measures  The envisaged LE framework document should serve as an awareness-raising and reflective tool, broadening the notion of evaluation and assessment beyond testing and levels (incl. self-assessment, introspection, peer- assessment, portfolio assessment, etc.)

Integrated approach  An ideal assessment system would reflect the full complexity of language as school subject (LS), and would motivate learners by giving useful feedback, while also providing other stake-holders (e.g. policy-makers, employers and teachers) with the information they need  An integrated approach to assessment would ensure that the different purposes and approaches are balanced so that no one priority has adverse and undue influence on the system as a whole (M. Fleming)