Thornbury (2001:18) defines assessment as “different ways of collecting information about learner’s progress and achievement”. In other words it is the process of gathering, describing or quantifying information about performance (Coombe & Hubley: 2007). Assessment is not only gauging learner’s ability but also about measuring the quality or success of a teaching course, etc. (Richards & Platt: 1992). However, assessment is mistakenly restricted to testing which is, in fact, a component as are interviews, and observations. Assessment can be informal such as based on teachers’ observation of learners in pair/group work or it can be ongoing that can be done anytime during the course. Brown (2004) considers assessment a process rather than a product with the prime objective of ensuring if the course objectives have been met.
2. Basic Concepts
2.1. Informal Assessment
Informal assessment can be prompted or unprompted comments, verbal feedback to students, observing students working in pairs or groups, and so on.
2.2. Formal assessment
Formal assessment is based on activities or procedures which are systematic and provide a measurement of students’ achievement, for example, on a progress test.
2.3. Traditional Assessment
Traditional assessment includes multiple-choice, true-false, and matching items as well as norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests.
2.3.1. Multiple-choice (MCQs)
The examinee receives a question followed by three to five choices to pick at least on as a correct answer. MCQs have a stem which is usually a question or an incomplete statement, alternatives which are the possible answers, and distracters that are incorrect answers.
2.3.2. True-false
It is an item on a language test where students are ask...
... middle of paper ...
...ls-of-language-assessment-manual-by-coombe-and-hubley. Reterieved: 20/1/2014.
Fullan, M. (2004 ). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). New York and London:: Teacher's College Press.
Henning, G. (1996). Accounting for nonsystematic error in performance ratings.
Language Testing, 13(1), 53-61
Huerta-Macias, A. (1995). Alternative assessment: Responses to commonly asked questions. TESOL Journal, 5(1): 8-11
O’Malley, J.M. & Valdez L.P. (1996). Authentic assessment for English language learners: Practical approaches for teachers. White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley, Longman.
Rea-Dickins, P. (2004). Understanding teachers as agents of assessment. Language Testing, 21(3), 249-258.
Richards, J.C., Platt, J, & Platt, H. (1992). Dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. Essesx, Longman.
Thornbury, S. (2001). An A-Z of ELT. London, MacMillan
In conclusion I feel that using effective assessment methods throughout any course allows tutors to give feedback at the right time to allow the correct progress for the learners to achieve. I have experienced feedback many times as coach and more recently as a teacher and feel it has only helped me to improve and to keep wanting to improve so I can inspire others to achieve.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], describe the content and the achievement standard that each Year level is required to achieve for the purpose of monitoring student progress (ACARA, 2012). This is underpinned by the standard “5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning”. As a pre service teacher, I have been involved in delivering many diagnostic and formative assessments throughout my practicum such as observations, explicit feedback, peer feedback, questioning, written and oral activities. Therefore my assessment practice will continue to include assessment for learning known as formative assessment and assessment of learning known as summative
There are many ways in which teachers can test their students to see where they are at and what still needs to worked on. These can be broken down into two distinct categories. First there is summative testing. Summative assessments are formal tests that are constructed by professionals to compare students with other students. Summative tests are used to measure outcomes of learning over time and can be criterion or norm referenced. Comparatively assessments can also be informal. Informal assessments also known as formative are generally constructed by the student's teacher. Formative assessments are a great resource to see where a student is at and measure what needs to be learned and help prepare a student for the summative assessment.
All assessments will be purposeful, and the goal of the assessment will be determined before the assessment is given. Assessment and evaluation will be ongoing throughout the year to provide reliable information. Assessments will also be authentic during the natural daily schedule. I will assess by creating portfolios, observing the children, and taking anecdotal notes. The assessments will allow me to measure students’ success and development. I will gather data from multiple sources to ensure that the data is reliable. I will maintain ethical behavior in all forms of assessment and evaluation. I will also reflect on my own teaching practices to better myself for my
Assessments have always been a tool for teachers to assess mastery and for a long time it was just to provide a grade and enter it into the grade book or report card. Through resources in and out of the course, there has been a breath of new life into the research on how to use assessments. They take many forms and fall within the summative or formative assessment category. Sloan (2016) addresses how formative assessments has traditionally been used by teachers to modify instruction, but when we focus on a classroom that is learner-centered “it becomes assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning” (slide 4). The fact is, the students are the ones that should be and are the ones using the data we collect through assessments, since it is our way of providing feedback in order
6.1 – The teacher candidate understands multiple methods of assessment including formative and summative assessment strategies to assess the learner’s progress and how to use them in a variety of ways
“Assessment is one of the most effective instructional strategies to increase learning.” (Edutopia)When teachers think about assessment quality, they often focus on the accuracy of the instrument itself- the scope of which the assessment item tasks and scoring rubrics produce accurate information. It is imperative to use the different testing technique to improve learning. By taking tests, students can establish that they are independently capable of expressing their understanding of the material. I will have an opportunity to analyze each student's understanding and ability to apply learned information. I can then decide whether the
Davis, D. (2008). Informal Assessments, and how I use them in my classroom. Retrieved from Web 24 July 2012. http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2008/10/08/informal-assessments-and-how-i-use-them-in-my-classroom/.
Assessment has been the greatest challenge in my development as a professional. My coursework as supported my growth in this area, especially in understanding the broad range of assessments used to support students’ growth and development. My courses have also supported my understanding of how ongoing observational assessment and standards-based measures can be used to inform instruction and support the cycle of observation, reflection and planning. Coursework
Student Assessment Procedures: Students will be assessed by completing the worksheet correctly. Also, there will be a vocabulary quiz at the end of Chapter 1.
Informal assessment is used to detect students? educational level. Examiners document their progress in search for instructional teaching. The informal techniques are to examine students learning behavior by giving them assessments on comprehension, writing, and math computation. The assessment unlike norm-reference test is normally design by the teachers. It has no test introduction. Teachers assess by observing students strategies and strength and weak areas. Teachers normally use informal assessment to assess comprehension, writing, and math computation.
Formal and informal assessments help the teacher to monitor learning progress, diagnose learning issues, and determine what they need to do next to further learning. In a regular classroom activity, they collect information about how students learn, what they know, what is working and what is not, and it helps a teacher to take decisions about teaching and learning process. Reflection on student accomplishments offers instructors insights on the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. By systematically gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence we can determine how well the student learning matching the outcomes for a lesson, unit or course. The knowledge from student feedback indicates the instructor that how to improve instruction, where to strengthen teaching. Pre- assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment are different types of
Assessments in the 21st century have been categorized into formal and informal assessments. When selecting which assessment to choose it is important to choose the best assessment that will give the most useful data. When researching you will find that there are many different assessments some which are free and others that cost money. Formal assessments are research based assessments that in many cases will require a purchase to complete the assessment. An example of a formal assessment is the Woodcock Johnson Test, which is a set of tests that measure a student’s cognitive abilities. An example of an informative assessment is an interview with the student to find his or her goals and
As teachers, we have to monitor the progress our students make each day, week, quarter and year. Classroom assessments are one of the most crucial educational tools for teachers. When assessments are properly developed and interpreted, they can help teachers better understand their students learning progress and needs, by providing the resources to collect evidence that indicates what information their students know and what skills they can perform. Assessments help teachers to not only identify and monitor learners’ strengths, weaknesses, learning and progress but also help them to better plan and conduct instruction. For these reasons, ongoing classroom assessment is the glue that binds teaching and learning together and allows educators to monitor their efficacy and student learning.
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a