Assessment and Evaluation PDF

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❶ Assessment and Evaluation Classroom assessment and evaluation are highly concerned with qualitative judgments that are used to improve students' knowledge and learning. Assessme...

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❶ Assessment and Evaluation Classroom assessment and evaluation are highly concerned with qualitative judgments that are used to improve students' knowledge and learning. Assessment and evaluation also give teachers useful information about how to improve their teaching methods (Jabbarifar , 2009). Through using appropriate classroom assessment strategies and techniques (Jabbarifar , 2009), teachers can increase their students' motivation and show them how well they have learned the language. Definition of Evaluation Evaluation is the systematic exploration and judgement of working processes, experiences and outcomes. It pays special attention to aims, values, perceptions, needs and resources (Rogers and Smith 2006). Evaluation in teaching English language is not only an important part of educational process but also an integral part of our everyday life. It occurs at one moment in time and involves both quantitative and qualitative analysis of information. It appraises the strengths and weaknesses of programmes, policies, personnel, outcomes, and organizations to improve their effectiveness. 3 Evaluation is a process that includes five basic components 1) Articulating the purpose of the educational system. 2) Identifying and collecting relevant information. 3) Having ideas that are valuable and useful to learners in their lives and professions. 4) Analysing and interpreting information for learners. 5) Classroom management or classroom decision making. (Jabbarifar , 2009) Purposes for evaluation First, it can be used to explain and confirm existing procedures, to obtain feedback about classroom practice. A second motivation for evaluation can be to gain information and bring about innovation or change (Jabbarifar , 2009). General functions of evaluation 1- Informative function of evaluation Evaluation has an informative function that brings information about pupils’ results. Evaluation also serves as a control of the educational process to check whether the educational aims have been reached and determining the level and quality of his teaching. 2- Formative function of evaluation Evaluation also has a formative function that influences and forms the future performance Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) of pupils and the development of pupils’ personality and also the future planning and teaching of teachers. This means that educators should try to utilize the given information to support future effective learning of the pupil. 3- Summative function of evaluation The function of summative evaluation is to somehow sums up what was done and achieved. It measures what was done in the process of teaching and learning and provide useful information for future teaching or learning. The evaluator has to go through what was done and thus summarize it before drawing any conclusion (Matějková, 2008). The role of testing in evaluation Testing is closely tied to evaluation. Tests of some sort play a role in virtually all educational program evaluations; indeed, too often an "evaluation" is no more than a hasty analysis of whether test scores rose. What is a test? A test is defined as a systematic procedure for measuring a sample of behaviour. The phrase "systematic procedure" indicates that a test is constructed, administered and scored according to predetermined rules. It also indicates that test items are chosen to fit the test specifications, and the same items are administered to all persons who share the same time limits. Value of testing 4 1- Collecting information about where students are in their learning to decide what should be covered next. 2- Deciding whether teaching is effective or not (Assessment of teaching) 3- Highlighting what needs to be reviewed. (Which parts need to be revised) 4- Giving pupils a sense of achievement (What they know / What they should know) 5- Giving pupils a learning opportunity after what has been done. (The test is a review in itself) 6- Assessing pupils’ strengths and weaknesses indicating which skills pupils are good at and which ones they need more practice on. 7- Giving feedback to parents, other teachers, the school, the principal …… to all who matter. 8- Discovering what pupils have already learned and what they still need to learn. 9- Deciding what to teach next and which methods should be used (Ramadan, 2011). Types of tests Tests may be divided into many types: A) In terms of technique: 1-Subjective Tests: These tests take the form of writing sentences, paragraphs or essays. In subjective tests, it usually happens that different scores are given to the same question.  Types of Subjective Tests: 1. Short-answers. Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) 2. Extended-response. 3. Problem solving. 4. Performance test items. 2-Objective Tests: The grading of this test is independent of the person marking the tests because these tests have definite answers, which have no room for subjectivity in grading. o Types of objective Tests: 1. Multiple choice tests. 2. True or False Tests. 3. Matching Tests. B) In terms of what they are intended to measure: 1. Placement test: It is designed and used to place new students in the right class in a school. It assesses students’ productive and receptive skills in relation to a previously agreed system of levels. 2. Diagnostic test: It is used to discover student problems, difficulties or deficiencies in a course. We use this type of tests to know students’ strengths and weaknesses so as to be able to do something about them. 5 3. Progress/Achievement test: It is designed to measure students’ language and their skills progress in relation to the syllabus they have been following. This type is directly related to language courses and done during the course. 4. Final Progress/ Achievement test: It is done at the end of the course to measure students’ achievement of the course objectives or goals. 5. Proficiency test: It is designed to measure students’ knowledge and ability in a language. It is not necessarily based on certain courses that students may have previously taken. Most students take this type of tests to admit to a foreign university, get a job or obtain some kind of certificate. 6. Aptitude test: It is designed to discover whether a student has a talent or basic ability for learning a new language or not. )Ramadan, 2014) C) In term of function: 1-Norm- Referenced Test: Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Such tests place the student in a rank order. i.e. it tells the examiner how a student has performed compared with his classmates 2-Criterion- Referenced Tests: These tests tell the examiner weather the student has achieved the desired objectives or not, regardless of other students’ standards. The purpose of this kind of testing is to classify students according to whether they are able to perform some tasks satisfactorily. (“What İs A Test,” 2019) Characteristics of a good test A good test is characterized by the following qualities: 1-Validity: A valid test measures what is ought to be tested. 2-Reliability: A reliable test should provide consistency in measuring the items being evaluated. In other words, if the same test is given twice to the same students, it should produce almost the same results. 3- Practicality: A practical test ought to be easy to administer and scored without wasting too much time or effort. 4- Comprehensiveness: 6 A comprehensive test should cover all the items that have been taught. 5- Relevance: The test is relevant when it measures reasonably the desired objectives. 6- Discrimination: A discriminative test should distinguish between different levels of students. (Individual differences) 7- Clarity: It is necessary that the questions should be clear so that the students can comprehend exactly what the teacher wants them to do. 8- Balance: A well- balanced test should examine both linguistic and communicative competences. 9- Authenticity: The language of the test should emphasize the everyday interaction. 10- Difficulty: The question must neither be too hard nor too easy. The questions should progress from easy to difficult so as to reduce stress and tension especially on the part of the struggling students. (El-Enany, 2016) Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Definition of Assessment Assessment refers to the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, and skill acquisition of students from preschool through college and adulthood (Anandan, 2017). Assessments are systematic methods of gathering data under standardized conditions and reaching a conclusion regarding the knowledge, qualification and potential of a learner. Assessment is an on-going process aimed at improving student learning, programs, and services that involves a process of: Publicly sharing expectations Defining criteria and standards for quality Gathering, analysing, and interpreting evidence about how well performance matches the criteria Using the results to documents, explain, and improve performance Classroom assessment provides feedback on the effectiveness of instruction and gives students a measure of their progress. Two major functions can be pointed out for classroom assessment: One is to show whether or not the learning has been successful, and the other one is to clarify the expectations of the teachers from the students. Assessment is a process that includes four basic components 1) Measuring improvement over time. 7 2) Motivating students to study. 3) Evaluating the teaching methods. 4) Ranking the students' capabilities in relation to the whole group evaluation. Assessment of an individual student’s progress or achievement is an important component of evaluation: it is that part of evaluation that includes the measurement and analysis of information about student learning (Jabbarifar, 2009). Competence Based Assessment (CBA) It is an educational system which revolves around what is essential for all students to “be able to do, or be like” at the end of their learning experiences, as a result of their education. Competence based assessment is producing evidence to make a judgment [decision] about whether the person is competent in relation to a particular standard. Classroom assessments can include a wide range of options; from recording anecdotal notes while observing a student to administering standardized tests. The options can be roughly divided into two categories: formative assessments and summative assessments.  Formative Assessment (Assessment for learning) Formative assessment provides feedback and information during the instructional process, while learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring. The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) A primary focus of formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement. More specifically, formative assessment: Helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. Helps faculty recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately. = Types of Formative Assessment a. Observations during in-class activities; of student’s non-verbal feedback during lessons. b. Homework exercises as review for exams and class discussions. c. Reflection journals that are reviewed periodically during the semester. d. Question and answer sessions, both formal—planned and informal—spontaneous. (Hanna, G. S., & Dettmer, P.A. 2004). At this stage the teacher can use the following questioning techniques:  Open and closed questions.  Funnel questions (Starting with general questions, then asking more to get more details at each level).  Probing questions (for finding out more details).  Leading Questions. (Try to lead the respondent to your way of thinking).  Conferences between the instructor and student at various points in the semester.  In-class activities where students informally present their results. 8  Student feedback collected by periodically answering specific question about the instruction and their self-evaluation of performance and progress. (Hanna, G. S., & Dettmer, P.A. 2004) = Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning Strategy 1: Provide students with a clear and understandable vision of the learning target. Strategy 2: Use examples and models of strong and weak work. Strategy 3: Offer regular descriptive feedback. Strategy 4: Teach students to self-assess and set goals. Strategy 5: Design lessons to focus on one learning target or aspect of quality at a time. Strategy 6: Teach students focused revision. Strategy 7: Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning. (Jones, 2010) = Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning) Summative assessment takes place after the learning has been completed and provides information and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process. The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark and to make a judgment of student competence. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value. Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) It is used to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs and services at the end of an academic year or at a pre-determined time. Summative evaluations are used to determine if students have mastered specific competencies and to identify instructional areas that need additional attention. Types of Summative Assessment 1- Examinations 2-Term Papers 3- Final Examination 4- Projects 5- Portfolios 6- Performances 7- Student Evaluation of the course 8- Instructor self- evaluation = Assessment Tools An assessment ‘tool’ is a complete set of documentation needed to assess at one (or more) Unit(s) of Competence. Each assessment tool must include 2 – 3 instruments each of which supports different methods of assessment (e.g. observation checklist and questioning). The tool will include the administration, recording and reporting requirements, and describe the context and conditions of assessment. An assessment ‘instrument’ is part of an assessment tool. It includes the checklists (or other ‘instruments’) 9 and instructions needed to conduct one part of a -based assessment (e.g. written test with answer key, observation checklist, verbal questioning instruments, log book, etc). Each instrument will outline the evidence the candidates need to supply, and describe the evidence criteria used to judge the quality of performance. = Assessment Methods  Direct observation  Verbal questions  Simulation  Log or diary  Portfolio  Exercise  Self-Assessment  Written test  Collaborative / group project  Problem sheets = Types of Assessment Tools  Course and homework assignments  Examinations and quizzes  Standardized tests Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020)  Term papers and reports  Observations of field work, internship  Performance and service learning  Research projects  Class discussion participation  Case study analysis  Rubric (a criterion-based rating scale) scores for writing, oral presentations, and performances  Artistic performances and products  Grades that are based on explicit criteria related to clear learning goals Rubrics A scoring rubric is a method of classifying and categorizing identified criteria for successfully completing an assignment or task and to establish levels for meeting these criteria. Rubrics should be used to assess essay questions, projects, portfolios and presentations and given to all faculties that are conducting and scoring the assessment. A well designed rubric will describe the definitions of each characteristic being assessed and descriptions of the best, worst and unacceptable characteristics of the identified criteria. A rubric is an authentic assessment tool used to measure students' work. It is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student's performance based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score. A rubric is a working guide for students and teachers, usually distributed before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged. Rubrics can be analytic or holistic, and they can be created for any content area including math, science, history, writing, foreign languages, drama, art, music, etc. 10 = Three common features of rubrics Rubrics can be created in a variety of forms and levels of complexity, however, they all contain three common features which: - Focus on measuring a stated objective (performance, behaviour, or quality). - Use a range to rate performance. - Contain specific performance characteristics arranged in levels indicating the degree to which a standard has been met. = Rubrics offer several advantages o Rubrics improve student performance by clearly showing the students how their work will be evaluated and what is expected. o Rubrics help students become better judges of the quality of their own work. o Rubrics allow assessment to be more objective and consistent. o Rubrics force the teacher to clarify his/her criteria in specific terms. o Rubrics reduce the amount of time teachers spend evaluating student work. o Rubrics promote student awareness about the criteria to use in assessing peer performance. o Rubrics provide useful feedback to the teacher regarding the effectiveness of the instruction. o Rubrics provide students with more informative feedback about their strengths and areas in need of improvement. o Rubrics accommodate heterogeneous classes by offering a range of quality levels. o Rubrics are easy to use and easy to explain. Table of Contents  GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (HEAD OF ELT DEPARTMENT) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) References  Anandan, K. (2017). ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING. [ebook] Available at: http://www.bdu.ac.in/cde/docs/ebooks/B-Ed/I/ASSESSMENT%20FOR%20LEARNING.pdf [Accessed 1 Sep. 2019]  Andrade, H. (2000). Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning - Educational Leadership. [online] Ascd.org. Available at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational- leadership/feb00/vol57/num05/Using-rubrics-to-promote-thinking-and%20learning.aspx  Awwad, M. (2010). Examinations: Aims, Making, and Marking. [online] Philadelphia.edu.jo. Available at: http://www.philadelphia.edu.jo/centers/iro/Examinations_Aims_Making_and_Marking.pdf  Edb.gov.hk. (n.d.). Strategies of Assessment for Learning in the Language Classroom. [online] Available at: https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/resource- support/net/pent10thpro/5.%20Parallel%20Sessions/parellel%20session%20PDF/PDF/Strategies %20of%20Assessment%20for%20Learning%20in%20the%20Language%20Classroom.pdf  El-Enany, N. (2016, January 7). Chapter Six Evaluation of Curriculum. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://studylib.net/doc/15343165/chapter-six-evaluation-of-curriculum  Fortress Learning. (n.d.). Assessment Tools - Fortress Learning. [online] Available at: https://fortresslearning.com.au/cert-iv-content/assess/assessment-tools/  Hanna, G. S., & Dettmer, P. A. (2004). Assessment for effective teaching: Using context-adaptive planning. Boston, MA: Pearson A&B. [online] Available at: https://www.niu.edu/facdev/_pdf/guide/assessment/formative%20and_summative_assessment. pdf 11  Jabbarifar , T. (2009). The importance of classroom assessment and evaluation in educational system. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://imy.laureate.net/Faculty/docs/Faculty%20Documents/INTI%20Conferences/Parallel%20S essions%204/4C/4C-03-P142%20(Iran).pdf  Matějková, L. (2008). Evaluation in ELT. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://dk.upce.cz/bitstream/handle/10195/28863/MatejkovaL_Evaluation%20in%20ELT_MC_2 008.pdf?sequence=1  Meneg, S. (2016). Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning. [online] Graded - Teaching and Learning. Available at: https://gradedtl.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/seven-strategies-of- assessment-for-learning/  Ramadan, M. (2011, December 26). The Importance of Testing During EL Course. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://elttguide.com/why-do-we-conduct-a-test-reasons-for-testing/  Ramadan, M. (2014, June 20). 8 Kinds of Testing & 6 Types of Tests. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://eltguide.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/8-kinds-of-testing-6-types-of-tests/  Smith, M. (2013, April 29). Evaluation for education, learning and change – theory and practice. Retrieved June 26, 2019, from http://infed.org/mobi/evaluation-theory-and-practice/  University, C. (n.d.). Formative vs Summative Assessment - Eberly Center - Carnegie Mellon University. [online] Cmu.edu. Available at: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html  What İs A Test. (2019, April 15). Retrieved June 26, 2019, from https://alonot.com/english/what- is-a-test/ Table of Contents