Unit 15 Assessment in Language Teaching

1
Unit 15 Assessment in Language Teaching

2
Teaching objectives

• By the end of the lesson, students should be able
  to
• know what assessment is and how it is different
  from evaluation and testing
• know the purpose of assessment
• know the methods of assessment
• know the criteria for assessment
• know the principles of assessment
• know the function of tests in assessment

3
Teaching contents

• Understanding assessment
• Assessment purposes
• Methods for assessment
• Criteria for assessment
• Assessment principles
• Tests in assessment

4
Understanding assessment

• finish task 1, ticking the right ones that they
  think can best describe what assessment is.
• the differences between testing, assessment, and
  evaluation.
• Testing done at the end of a learning period
  result expressed by a mark, a grade or ratio
  students compared with each other.
• Assessment involving the collection of
  information or evidence of a learners progress
  or achievement over a period of time for the
  purpose of improving teaching and learning not
  based on one test or task students are measured
  against his/her own starting point.
• Evaluation involving making an overall judgment
  about ones work or a whole schools work.

5
task 2 group discussion

• read the definition of the above three terms
  again.
• explain to each other how testing is related to
  assessment and assessment to evaluation.

back
6
2. Assessment purposes

• why is assessment necessary?
• what are testing , assessment and evaluation for?
• Testing for schools and parents benefit
• Assessment for teachers and learners
  benefits
• Evaluation for the authoritys benefits
• what does assessment have to do with
  administrators, teachers, parents and students?

• back

7
3. Methods for assessment

• Speaking of assessment methods, many teachers
  immediately think of tests. Assessment includes
  testing but definitely not only testing.

8
methods of assessment

• what are summative assessment and formative
  assessment respectively?
• summative assessment based on testing, done at
  the end of a learning period. focus on memory
  work cannot be used to inform teachers teaching
  and students learning
• formative assessment based on information
  collected in a classroom during the teaching
  process providing more information.
• the methods of assessment
• testing 4)
  self-assessment and peer
• 
  assessment
  
  
• 2) teachers observations 5) project work
• 3) continuous assessment 6) portfolios

9
task 6 group discussion

• If you are given the chance to assess the
  students overall language achievement in
  whatever methods they like, how would you do it.
• write your steps and reasons for doing so.

• back

10
4. criteria for assessment

• Depending on different language assessment
  purposes and the stage at which the assessment is
  made, assessment should be made according to
  different criteria or references.

11
4.2 the criteria for assessment

• answer the following questions
• what is criteria-referenced assessment?
• what is norm-referenced assessment?
• what is individual-referenced assessment?

12
4.3 task 7

• answer the question What are the possible
  advantages and disadvantages of different
  assessments based on different criteria?
• write your answers in the chart on page 256.

• back

13
5. Assessment principles

• assess authentic us of language in reading,
  writing, speaking, and listening.
• assess literacy and language in a variety of
  contexts
• assess the environment, the instruction, and
  the students
• assess processes as well as products
• analyze patterns of errors in language and
  literacy.
• base assessment on normal development patterns
  and behavior in language and literacy acquisition
• clarify and use standards when assessing
  reading, writing, and content knowledge.
• involve students and parents, as well as other
  personnel such as the ESL or mainstream teacher,
  in the assessment process.
• make assessment an ongoing part of every day.

14

• It is ideal if assessors can follow all these
  principles. But in reality, it is very difficult
  to achieve this.

• back

15
6. Tests in assessment

• We have said that testing does not equate
  with assessment, but testing is, at least now,
  the most widely used method to collect
  information for the purpose of assessment. So it
  is desirable and necessary for teachers to
  familiarize with testing techniques.

16
test formats

• questions and answers
• true or false questions
• multiple-choice questions
• gap-filling or completion
• matching questions
• dictation
• transformation
• translation
• essay writing
• interview

17
task 9

• answer the questions
• what are the advantages and disadvantages of
  testing?
• what are the usual formats of the tests that you
  have taken in your experience of English
  learning?
• Is there any particular format that you like or
  dislike? Give your reasons

18
Conclusion

• In this unit, we started with a discussion on
  what assessment is in order to understand the
  differences among testing, assessment, and
  evaluation. Then we discussed assessment methods.
• Assessment can be done in many ways. Testing is
  only one of them. Whatever methods or formats are
  used, assessment must always follow a set of
  principles which guarantee assessment validity
  and reliability.

19

• Thank you