Testing and assessing will help teachers and students adjust the teaching and learning methods so that they can have the best resultsl.. You must take many decisions, including planning
Trang 1Thai Binh Gifted High School
Assessment and Testing
in EFL Class at High School Level
by Nguyen Thi Hong Hung
Trang 2A INTRODUCTION
It is undeniable that English is an international language In Viet Nam, English has become more and more important It is now commonly used in technology, science, education, culture and economic activities This leads to the increasing demand for English learning and teaching throughout the country There are a lot of language centers in big cities More importantly English has been a compulsory subject in schools and universities More attention has been paid to English teaching and learning in gifted schools especially in gifted English classes Nevertheless, how to teach, to learn English successfully is not simple Besides teaching writing, reading, listening, speaking English, teachers need to be aware of the importance of assessing and testing Testing and assessing will help teachers and students adjust the teaching and learning methods so that they can have the best resultsl Within a limited scope of this paper, we would like to deal with the investigated issues that relate to “assessment and testing in EFL at High school level
By writing this paper, we aim to cite some theoretical knowledge related to assessment and testing , the different testing and assessment activities
B BODY
Part 1 Fundamentals in theories of assessment and testing
1.1 Assessment, testing, measurement, evaluation
It is important to distinguish between these four terms Many people in the applied linguistics seen to make no difference, or at least no special distinction, between these terms However, these terminologies, although related, may have different goals Below
is the distinction between them discussed by Nitko (2011)
Assessment is a broad term defined as a process for obtaining information that is used
for making decisions about students, curricula and programs, and educational policy
Test is a concept that is narrower than assessment It is defined as an instrument or
systematic procedure for observing and describing one or more characteristics of a student using either a numerical scale or a classification scheme
Measurement is defined as a procedure for assigning numbers (usually called scores)
to a specific attribute or characteristics of a person in such a way that the numbers
describe the degree to which the person possesses the attribute
Evaluation is defined as the process of making a value judgment about the worth of a
student’s products or performance
There may exist different definitions of these terms, but they all share the common feature that is the interrelation between these terms in an assessment process
Trang 3ACTIVITY 1
Decide the truth or falsity of each of the following statements Defend your answer
a To make evaluations, one must use measurements
b To measure an important educational attribute of a student, one must use a test
c To evaluate a student, one must measure that student
d To test a student, one must measure that student
e Any piece of information a teacher obtains about a student is an assessment
f To evaluate a student, one must assess that student
1.2 Purposes of assessment
Before designing any assessment, teachers need to ask themselves “what is the purpose of assessment?” One way to answer the question is to thoroughly examine these considerations: what kind of information you want to obtain from the assessment, and how the obtains information from assessment will be used Nitko (2000) discussed some
of the decisions teachers may wish to consider
a Instructional management decisions
Your classroom is a decision-rich environment You must take many decisions, including planning instructional activities, placing students into learning sequences, monitoring students’ progress, diagnosing students’ learning difficulties, providing students and parents with feedback about achievements, evaluating teaching effectiveness, and
assigning grades to students Hence, assessment can be used to make decisions on
- Instructional diagnosis and remediation
- Feedback to students
- Feedback to the teacher
- Modeling learning targets
- Motivating students
- Assigning grades to students
b Selection decisions
Assessment can be used to provide part of the information on which selection decisions are based For example, college admissions are often selection decisions: some
candidates are admitted and others are not
c Placement decisions
Placement decisions are made to assign students to different levels of the same general type of instruction, education or work For example: teachers may assess students to decide whether they are placed in a fast-track or regular group
d Classification decisions
Some times we must make a decision that results in a person being assigned to one of
several different but unordered categories or programs For example: students may be
assessed to be classified into groups of different learning styles or interests
e Counseling and guidance decisions
Assessment results are frequently used to assist students in exploring and choosing careers and in directing them to prepare for the careers they select In this case, a series of assessment is combined, instead of using a single assessment result
Trang 4f Credentialing and certification decisions
Credentialing and certification decisions are concerned with assuring that a student has attained certain standards off learning
ACTIVITY 2
To grade
To punish students
To report the progress To get promotion To adjust your teaching To compare two teaching methods To pilot a new scheme To motivate students To identify areas for improvement To raise money To show off To create learning opportunities To end a program To keep students in school Circle those that can be the purpose of assessment in the following box Now, reflect on your own assessing experience, why do you assess your students? What kind of decisions have you made and in which assessing situation?
-1.3 Types of assessment List of terms used to describe and classify assessments Criteria of classification Types of assessments By kind of item Choice items (true-false, multiple choice, matching)
Completion items Short-answer items Essay items
By how student performance is scored Objective assessment
Subjective assessment
By degree of standardization Standardized assessments
Nonstandardized assessments
By administrative conditions Individual assessments
Group assessments
By the basis for interpreting scores Norm-referencing
Criterion-referencing
By the use of assessment result Formative assessment
Summative assessment Diagnostic assessment
Trang 5Placement/classification/selection Assessment
By the time of assessment Final assessment
Continuous/on-going assessment
By the domain to be assessed Product assessment
Process assessment
By the language emphasis of the scoring Verbal assessment
Performance assessment
a Objective versus subjective assessment
A true-false and multiple choice test is said to be objective because once the scoring key
is set, nearly everyone who scores a student’s responses arrives at the same report Essay items, portfolio, and performance assessments, on the other hand, have a history of being scored differently by different persons and differently by the same persons on different occasions Because of this, they are said to be subjective methods of assessment
b Standardized versus nonstandardized assessment
Standardization can improve the objectivity of assessments as well as the validity of
interpreting the results Standardization is the degree to which the observational
procedures, administrative procedures, equipment and materials, and scoring rules have been fixed so that, same procedure occurs at different times and places, insofa as is possible
c Norm versus criterion referencing
Norn-referencing interpretations describe assessed performance in terms of a person’s
position in a reference group that has been administered the assessment For example, you may report a student’s performance on a test as being ‘better than 80% of the class’ This report expresses the student’s standing in a reference group, but it does not state what the student knows or is able to perform The reference group is called the norm
group Criterion-referencing interpretations describe assessed performance in terms if
the kinds of tasks a person with a given score can do It is important to note that both kinds of interpretations are important to understand how well a student is learning
d Formative versus summative assessment
Formative assessment is designed to assist the learning process by providing feedback
to the learning, which can be used to highlight learning areas for further study, hence improve future performance Self and diagnostic assessments are types of formative
assessment with specific purposes Summative assessment is for progression n and/or
external purposes, given at the end of a course and designed to judge the student’s overall performance
Summative assessment is most useful for those external to the educative process, who
wish to make decisions based on the information gathered It generally provides a concise summary of student’s abilities which can easily be understood as a pass/fail or a grade It
is however not useful for communicating more complex data about student’s individual abilities, which can then be used to inform further study and improve student performance
e Final versus continuous/on-going assessment
Final assessment is the one taken at the end of a course while continuous or on-going assessment is scattered throughout the course The primar advantage of final assessment
Trang 6is that it is simple to organize and condense assessment process into a short space of time It means, however, the timing of the examination becomes of great importance Illness at an unfortunate time can unduly influence the result Moreover, final assessment cannot be used for formative purposes The main advantages of continuous or on-going assessment is that both teachers and students obtain feedback from the process which can then be used to improve teaching and learning period Disadvantages include the increased workload inherent with this mode of assessment, and difficulties associated with students from different backgrounds tackling the same material and being assessed
in exactly the same way
f Product versus process assessment
With the rapidly changing nature of modern society, increased emphasis is being placed
on skills and abilities, rather than knowledge It is therefore important to consider whether you wish to assess the product of student learning, or the process undertaken Product-driven assessments are usually easier to create, as the assessment criteria seem to
be more tangible They can also be more easily summarized Process based assessment however can give more useful information about skills, and therefore can highlight for students the importance of learning generalized techniques, rather than specific knowledge
g Verbal versus performance assessment
Verbal assessment call for observing the verbal responses of students: for example, how well they can define words, explain their answers, or define similarities or differences between concepts Most school assessments are verbal because schools emphasize verbal attributes
Other assessments are crafted to elicit and observe nonverbal response: assembling objects, completing experiments, performing psychomotor activities, and so on These are called performance assessments Although performance assessments emphasize nonverbal responses, verbal ability or language ability are also necessary When assessing school learning targets, performance assessment focus on a student’s ability to apply and use knowledge from several areas to make something, produce a report, or demonstration
ACTIVITY 3
For question 1-5, match the situations in which a teacher sets a test with the reason for assessment listed A-F There is one extra option which you do not need to use
1 The teacher has a new class On the first day of the course, she sets a test which covers some language points she expects the students to be familiar with and others that she thinks the students may not know The students do not prepare for the test
2 The teacher notices that his intermediate students are making careless mistakes with basic question formation, which they should know He announces that there will be a test on this the following week The students have time to prepare for the test
3 The students are going to take a public examination soon The teacher gives them
an example paper to do under test conditions
4 The teacher monitors students whenever they carry out speaking tasks and keeps notes about each student
Trang 75 The class has recently finished a unit of the course book which focused on the use
of the present perfect simple with ‘for’ and ‘since’ The teacher gives the class a surprise test on this
Reason for assessment
A To familiarize students with the test format
B To allow the teacher to plan an appropriate scheme of work
C To show students how well they have learned specific language
D To allow students to assess each other
E To motivate the students to revise a particular language area
F To assess students’ progress on a continuous basis
ACTIVITY 4
For questions 1-5, match the assessment aims with assessment types listed A-G There is
one extra option which you do not need to use
Trang 8Assessment aims
1 to put students into a class at the
correct level
2 to identify how much the class already
knows about particular language items
3 to give student a test on language
taught in the latest unit of their course
4 to keep a record of students’
performance , based on work completed
throughout the course
5 to help students evaluate their own
progress
6 to see how well students perform at the
end of a course
Assessment types
A continuous assessment
B placement tests
C diagnostic tests
D peer assessment
E self-assessment
F achievement tests
G progress test
ACTIVITY 5
Which of the following are true for summative assessment (SA) or informative assessment (FA) in the appropriate box.
is the practice of building a cumulative record of student achievement
assists you to make judgments about student achievement at certain relevant points in the learning process or unit of study (e.g end of course, project, semester, unit, year)
assists teacher in modifying or extending their programmers or adapting their learning and teaching methods
Can be used formally to measure the level of achievement of learning outcomes (e.g tests, labs, assignments, projects, presentations etc)
Is used to monitor students’ ongoing progress and to provide immediate and meaningful feedback
Is very applicable and helpful during early group work processes
Can also be used to judge programmed, teaching and/or unit of study effectiveness (that is as a form of evaluation)
Usually takes place during day to day learning experiences and involves ongoing informal observations throughout the term, course, semester, or unit
of study
Assessment FOR Learning
Trang 9During the last few decades, there is increasing tension between assessment of learning and assessment for learning, whose fundamental differences lie in their assessment purposes These are discussed in details in Earl and Katz (2006)
Assessment OF learning
Assessment of learning refers to strategies designed to confirm what students know,
demonstrate whether or not they have met curriculum outcomes or the goals of their individualized programs, or to certify proficiency and make decisions about students’ future programs or placements It is designed to provide evidence of achievement to parents, other educators, the students themselves, and sometimes to outside groups (e.g., employers, other educational institutions)
Assessment of learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in
statements or symbols about how well students are learning It often contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect students’ futures It is important, then, that the underlying logic
and measurement of assessment of learning be credible and defensible.
Effective assessment of learning requires that teachers provide
i a rationale for undertaking a particular assessment of learning at a particular
point in time
ii clear descriptions of the intended learning
iii processes that make it possible for students to demonstrate their competence
and skill
iv a range of alterative mechanism for assessing the same outcomes
v public and defensible reference points for making judgments transparent
approaches to interpretation
vi description of the assessment process
vii strategies for recourse in the event of disagreement about the decisions
Assessment FOR learning
Assessment for learning occurs throughout the learning process It is designed he
make each student’s understanding visible, so that teachers can decide what they can do help students progress It assessment for learning, use assessment as an investigative tool
to find out as mush as the can about what their students know and can do, and what confusions, preconceptions, or gaps they may have
Assessment Reform Group (2002) defines assessment for learning as the process of
seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to find out where the learners are in their learning process, where they need to go and how to get there They suggest ten principles of Assessment for Learning as follow
i Assessment for learning should be part of effective planning of teaching and learning
A teacher’s planning should provide opportunities for both learner and teacher to obtain and use information about process towards learning goals It also has to he flexible
to respond to initial and emerging ideas and skill Planning should include strategies to ensure that learners understand the goals they are pursuing and the criteria that will be applied in assessing their work How learners will receive feedback, how they will take part in assessing their learning and how they will be helped to make further progress should also be planned
ii Assessment for learning should focus on how students learn
Trang 10The process of learning has to be in minds of both learner and teacher when assessment is planned and when the evidence is interpreted Learners should become as aware of the
‘how’ of their learning as they are of the ‘what’
iii Assessment for learning should be recognized as central to classroom
Much of what teachers and learners do in classrooms can be described as assessment That is, tasks and questions prompt learners to demonstrate their and interpreted, and judgments are made about how learning can be improved These assessment processes are an essential part of everyday classroom practice and involve both teachers and
learners in reflection, dialogue and decision making
iv Assessment for learning should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers
Teachers requires the professional knowledge and skills to: plan for assessment; observe learning; analyze and interpret evidence of learning; give feedback to learners and
support learners in self- assessment Teachers should be supported in developing these skills through initial and continuing professional development
v Assessment for learning should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact
Teachers should be aware of the impact that comments, marks and grades can learners' confidence and enthusiasm and should be as constructive as possible in the feedback that they give Comments that focus on the work rather the person are more constructive for both learning and motivation
vi Assessment should take account of the importance of learner motivation.
Assessment that encourages learning fosters motivation by emphasizing progress and achievement rather than failure Comparison with others who have been more successful
is unlikely to motivate learners It can also lead to their withdrawing from the learning process in areas where they have been made to feel they are no good Motivation can be preserved and enhanced by assessment methods which protect the learner's autonomy, provide some choice constructive feedback, and create opportunity for self-direction
vii Assessment for learning should promote commitment no learning goals and
a shared understanding of the criteria by which they are assessed
For effective learning to take place learners need to understand what it is they are trying
to achieve and want to achieve it Understanding and commitment follows when learners have some part in deciding goals and identifying criteria for assessment criteria involves discussing them assessing progress Communicating learners using terms that they can understand, providing examples of how the criteria can be met in practice and engaging learners in peer- and self-assessment
viii Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve
Learners need information and guidance in order to plan the next steps in their learning Teachers should: pinpoint the learner's strengths and advise on how to develop them; be clear and constructive about any weaknesses and how they might addressed; provide opportunities for learners to improve upon their work
ix Assessment for learning develops learners capacity for s assessment so that they can become reflective and self managing
Independent learners have the ability to seek out and gain new skills, new knowledge and new understandings They are able to engage in self-reflection and to identify the next steps in their learning Teachers should equip learners with the desire and the capacity to take charge of their learning through developing the skills of self-assessment