3
Handout - ASSESSMENT TOOLS
1. To assess lg learners we can use:
n Portfolios
n Structured assessment activities/tasks
n Projects
n Self-assessment
n Peer-assessment
n Traditional tests
n Learner-developed assessment tasks
n Take-home tasks
n Observation
n Conferencing
2. What is Language Portfolio ?
It is a collection of samples of work produced by ss over a period of time or video eg. written work, drawings, projects, recordings (audio, test result, self –assessment record, teacher and parent comments) offers a more complete picture.
The choice of what goes into the portfolios is based on specific criteria agreed on by you and the learner together. A portfolio is useful to you when you are carrying out your assessment or profiling, because it offers you and parents a more complete picture of a learner’s work development, it allows to see the learner’s progress over the year.
For YLLs, it is an exciting project and a show-case of their new-found knowledge and ability.
3. What are Structured assessment activities ?
Takes organized by teacher to assess knowledge, skills and attitudes, and the ability to apply these to new situation.
Tasks such as drawing, miming, cutting and pasting, pointing, touching, etc. are particularly useful for assessing receptive skills, since they do not require verbal performance.
[Activities particularly suitable for YLL are ones in which they demonstrate understanding by doing.] For younger or shy learners who may need a silent period before starting to use language and for weaker learners who may have problems with productive skills, this may be an effective way of allowing them to present their abilities.
4. What are the advantages of Projects ?
-excellent for assessing mixed-ability group
-you chose to assign or not, specific tasks according to the ss special abilities
-they integrate skills and promote ss creativity
However, they can be very demanding in terms of organization and assessment because they involve both group work and individual work.
It is not easy to judge whose contribution was the biggest, and there may be students who cheated and did very little work. There is the only way out – state clear rules beforehand – divide work among the students [try to take into account that in one group there are better and worse students and appoint task according to their level – for everybody to feel that they achieved something, which will help them to believe in themselves]
5. What are the advantages of Self-assessment ?
-helps ss to monitor their progress: reflect on their abilities and learning styles; set personal goals
-gives ss an insight into the assessment criteria used by others
-they need time to learning and get accustomed to self- monitoring
-
Very young learners are able to use basic criteria to assess themselves but they may need more guidance and time than older learners. Expect very young learners to take a long time before they are able to use self-assessment effectively – be patient and persistent. Don’t give up, as it is worthwhile !
Some of the most widely used self-assessment methods are: portfolios, questionnaires, conferencing, graphic representations, and dialogue journals. They can be use even with young learners, even if the process has to be carried out initially in Polish.
6. What are the advantages of Peer-assessment ?
-positively influences the classroom atmosphere, as ss learn to respect and accept each other
-fosters the telling that the class is a community working towards the same….
-mimizes ?? the negative aspects of competition and encourages tryst among ss
Disadvantages: learners may take some time before they can carry out peer-assessment effectively; some learners may continue to be self-centered and immature in their judgments; but it could be minimized by repeated practice of peer-assessment, objective criteria, and the presence of the Teacher who is fair and appreciative of the learner’s efforts.
7. Traditional tests
Advantages :
- they are objective;
- easy to mark;
- easy to prepare.
Disadvantages:
- it’s not in a idea a provides at young learners
- ss see them as intimidating and stressful
- they do not tell as much about what ss can actually do they just give the grade or mark
Any information gathered from test result must be accompanied by the assessment data from another source in order to produce the overall picture of the learner’s progress.
8. What are Learner-developed assessment tasks ?
Ss can contribute to the content of an assessment task or actually creative.
Discussion of task content with Teacher helps to encourage responsibility and maturity, because the learners have to think about what they are supposed to know and have to set appropriate performance criteria.
When learners are involved in preparing the assessment task or parts of the task themselves, the assessment procedure becomes even more personalized and less threatening. The learners may make materials to be included in the task, or write questions from which you select a sample, or write questions to others to answer, finally they may write sentences or paragraphs to be used as reading comprehension assessment tasks.
9 . What are Take-home tasks ?
Are ones that as can complete at after discussion with you ss are given a deadline to meet.
Particularly suitable for mixed ability classes, because the learners have the freedom to choose how to go about completing their task, how much time to spend on it, when to work on it, and what level of performance they see as satisfactory in the light of their own abilities.
They foster autonomy, since the learners assume responsibility for completing the task on their own, disciplining themselves, setting their own deadlines, deciding how much time they need to complete the task, and ensuring the completion quality.
10. Observation
You observe your learners every single lesson and make dozens of judgments every day. All your considerations are a continuous assessment of the learners’ behaviour, attitudes, and performance. However these are not systematically recorded to be used further for assessment purposes.
What to do to record observation systematically ?
To record observation systematically try to make short notes soon after the lesson and keep them on fill; or you can use checklist and tick them during or after the lessons.
Remember that observation is always subjective and should be used in combination with other assessment methods.
11. What is Conferencing ?
Conferencing are friendly and informal chats. Teacher has with ss during witch they should feel comfortable enough to express themselves freely.
- It can be one-to-one or done in small groups.
- It can take place at the beginning of a course; when a new learner enters the course; at the end of a course or specific units; or when there is a problem to deal with.
- You can use it in order to assess speaking skills (then you do it in English). It may be helpful to give learners some questions to think beforehand : What do you think is your best piece of work ?
hala12