Transcript Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Evaluating and Creating
Interactive and ContentBased Assessment
Setting the Stage
Progress indicators need to be defined
and demonstrated for students,
parents, community members and
school administrators.
Introduction to Assessment
Assessment is more than tests & grades
Assessment involves the development of
materials, processes, activities and criteria for
success
ESL students require integrated assessments
where language and literacy practices are
linked
Assessments for Specific Decision
Making
Placement
Reading, writing, speaking, listening,
interacting evaluated to place in section
levels (A, B, B1, C, etc.)
Because assessments are conducted in L2:
Assessments can underestimate past
learning
L2 learners are limited in what they
can express
Assessments for Specific Decision
Making
Progress
Goal: to obtain a clear picture of students’
knowledge in both language and content
Select a variety of formats for assessment
Organization is key
Keep a dated log with language,
content and strategies objectives
Document observations regularly
Assessments for Specific Decision
Making
Evaluation of Instruction
Washback – information or feedback that
teachers receive about instruction as a
result of assessment and evaluation
Use to adjust instruction (alter
teaching style; revise activities)
Use to individualize instruction
assessment
washback
instruction
Alternative Assessment
Traditional testing:
Does not measure critical thinking skills
Encourages teaching to the test
Does not provide feedback
Alternative assessment:
Accommodates differences in learners
Assesses progress towards authentic
language
Assesses learning over a period of time
Alternative Assessment
Assessment activities and tasks need to
be constructed so that comprehension
of subject matter and thinking
behaviors can be demonstrated directly
through either oral or written
communicative performances.
Integrated Performance Assessments
Integrated assessments:
are used to evaluate performances required
to carry out real-life tasks
are used to evaluate student performance
in an entire learning event or project
take into account student’s quality of
participation and level of skill in planning,
carrying out, and evaluating the activity
Oral Language Assessment
Interviews
Teacher-conducted or guided with peer
interaction
Student response to an interrogative
statement demonstrates ability to
understand and use academic language
Should be used in conjunction with other
tools to reveal true proficiency
Oral Language Assessment
Retelling
Measures students’ integrated
comprehension though four skills
Teachers should:
Be explicit about the criteria for evaluation
Use modeling by stronger students
Minimize anxiety which could impact
performance
Oral Language Assessment
Anecdotal records
Observational Records
short described encounters or experiences
that students have during learning
subjective
Documents exactly what is seen/heard
Both allow you to collect information
without disrupting the natural
interaction taking place in the classroom
Written Language
Assessment
Types of Portfolios
Showcase portfolios – focused; highlight certain
qualities or skills
Assessment portfolios – used to provide
evidence of meeting criteria for quality
Benefits of Portfolios
Student involvement through piece selection
enables the student to learn personal strengths and
weaknesses, allowing them to become more
conscious learners.
Written Language Assessment
Types of Rubrics
Holistic – one number used to evaluate work
Analytic
Evaluation based on predetermined criteria
for each aspect of a written project
Separate ratings for each defined writing
skill
Rubrics should be upgraded and revised
based on student performance
Written Language Assessment
Conferencing
One-on-one conferences result in
individualized assessment and support
Allows for development of short and longterm writing goals
Teaches peer conferencing and editing
skills
Written Language Assessment
Dialogue Journals
Can be weekly or daily
Types:
Morning journals
Math, science, literature response journals
End-of-day journals
Allow for sharing of background
information, modeling, (i+1),
individualized assessment
Reading Assessment
Running Records
Often used with early readers
Follows a standard set of written symbols
to note miscues made by the reader
Miscues analyzed to assess learner’s
thought organization, thinking and
strategies
Allows for individuality of assessment
Reading Assessment
Creative Comprehension
Exercises
Use visual organizers
and drawing to express knowledge.
Use cooperative grouping with individually
designed formats for demonstrating
comprehension.
Reading Assessment
Inquiry Challenges
The ability to pose coherent questions with
the use of academic language is an
indicator of reading comprehension/oral
language proficiency.
The formulation of questions occurs prereading and post-reading.
Reading Assessment
Self-Assessment Tools:
Should be scaffolded to increase
comprehensibility
Will enable students to build metacognitive
competence and direct their own learning
Common formats:
checklists
yes or no questions
sentence completion
Interactive & Technology-Based
Assessment
CBT – Computer Based Testing
Based on interactivity
Test displays items that adjust to the
learners
Can be used to note students’
strategies and progress
Can be used to aid in measuring
learners’ abilities to demonstrate oral
communication
Understanding
Standardized Tests
Norm-referenced test
Assumes that:
Performances will have a normal distribution
and fit a normal curve.
Test items are fair and unbiased
Performances not affected by ethnicity, gender,
race, etc
Students perform to the best of their ability
Machine scored
Results expressed in percentile, median, mean,
std. deviation
Understanding Standardized Tests
Criterion referenced tests
Identify levels of performance that all
students are expected to aim for
Scores are unacceptable to highly
accomplished
ESL teachers should:
Seek accommodations for ESL students
Teach them skills of approach, including
strategic guessing and elimination of wrong
answers