Alternative Assessment for Language Teachers

Alternative assessment is a process by which evidence of student achievement is obtained and evaluated. Information is obtained relative to objective it includes testing, interpreting and placing information in context. It is the process of gathering and organizing data- the basis for decision making (evaluation).

1. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

2. POINTS TO BE DISCUSSED
•Tests vs. Assessment
•Definition& Characteristicsof Alternative Assessment
•Traditional vs “Alternative”Assessment
•Performance-based Assessment
•Why Alternative Assessment
•Portfolios
•definition, characteristics
•advantages, guidelines
•Observation
•Journal
•Summary

3. QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
•What’s the difference between tests and assessment?
•What does “alternative assessment”mean?
•What’s the difference between traditional and alternative assessment?
•Is performance-based assessment the same as alternative assessment?

4. TESTS VS. ASSESSMENT (1)
•All tests are assessments, but not all assessments are tests.
(Brown 5)
Tests
Assessment
Teaching

5. TESTS VS. ASSESSMENT (2)
•Tests:
•Formal procedures
•Strict time limitations
•Sample the performance of an individual in a specific domain
•Assessment:
•Includes all occasions
•Both formal and informal
•Alternative assessment: early 1990s
•Fairness
•Balance of power relationships in the classroom

6. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
•Definition:
•Any method of finding out what a student knows or can do that is intended to
show growth and inform instruction and is alternative to traditional forms of
testing, namely, multiple-choice tests.
•Multi-assessment methods, rather than sticking to traditional paper-and-pencil tests.

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
•Require Ss to perform, create, produce, or do something
•Use real-world contexts or simulations
•Assess Ss on what they do in class every day
•Focus on processes as well as products
•Higher-level thinking & problem-solving skills
•Provide info. about Ss’strengths & weaknesses
•Use human judgment in scoring
•More . . . . (cited in Brown 252; Brown & Hudson 654-55)

8. TRADITIONAL VERSUS “ALTERNATIVE” ASSESSMENT (1)
One-shot tests Continuous, longitudinal assessment
Indirect tests Direct assessment
Inauthentic tests Authentic assessment
Individual projects Group projects
No feedback provided to learnersFeedback provided to learners
Speeded exams Untimed exams
Decontextualized test tasks Contextualized test tasks
Norm-referenced score interpretationCriterion-referenced score interpretation
Standardized tests Classroom-based tests
Bailey, Kathleen M. (1998) Learning about Language Assessment . (p. 207)

9. TRADITIONAL VERSUS “ALTERNATIVE” ASSESSMENT (2)
(BROWN 13)
One-shot, standardized exams Continuous long-term assessment
Timed, multiple-choice format Untimed, free-response format
Decontextualized test items Contextualized communicative
Scores suffice for feedback Individualized feedback/washback
Norm-referenced scores Criterion-referenced scores
Focus on the “right”answer Open-ended, creative answers
Summative Formative
Oriented to product Oriented to process
Non-interactive performance Interactive performance
Fosters extrinsic motivation Fosters intrinsic motivation

10. ADVANTAGES
•Traditional multiple-choice tests:
•Highly practical
•Highly reliable
•Alternative assessment:
•Beneficial washback
•Authenticity→greater face validity
•Some suggestions:
•See Brown 254.
(See figure 10.1, Brown 253)

11. PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT
•Productive, observable skills of content-valid tasks
•A subset of authentic assessment, but not all authentic assessment is performance-
based
•Alternative assessment could be performance-based.
•Characteristics of performance assessment:
•Constructed response
•Higher-order thinking involved, with open-ended, meaningful, engaging, and
authentic tasks
•Integration of language skills
•Both process and product are assessed
•A student’s mastery is emphasized

12. THREE BASIC ASSESSMENT TYPES
Following Brown & Hudson’s (1998) classification:
•Alternatives in assessment:
•Selected response:
•T/F, matching, multiple-choice
•Constructed response:
•Fill-in, short answer, performance assessments
•Personal response:
•Conferences, portfolios, self/peer assessments

13. ANOTHER CLASSIFICATION
•Evaluation with tests
•Purposes/uses
•Kinds
•Formats
•Characteristics of good tests
•Evaluation without tests (alternative assessment)
•Portfolios
•Journals
•Conferences, interviews
•Observations
•Performance assessment
•Self & peer assessment

14. WHY ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT?
•Uncertain about test scores
•What’s the real difference between scores of 59 and 61 (esp. 60 = passing score)
•Small or chance difference in test scores
•No such thing as a perfect test
•Multi-method assessment in order to account for multi-culture, multi-intelligences of
learners
•It can assess learning processes in an on-going manner
•Many Ts become dissatisfied with the mismatch between how they teach & how
assessment is done

15. DEFINITION OF PORTFOLIOS
•“A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s
efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include
student participation in selecting contents, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence
of student self-reflection”(Paulson, Paulson & Meyer, 1991).
•“A purposeful collection of students’work that tell the story of their achievements,
skills, efforts, abilities, and contributions to a particular class”(Brown & Hudson, p. 664)

16. CHARACTERISTICS OF PORTFOLIOS
•Teacher and students can negotiate to decide what is included.
•The learner has some control over what is being assessed. (learner-centered)
•Not necessary to include everything, depending on the purpose
•To document development over time (e.g., drafts)
•Typical portfolio: four sections
•Introduction: portfolio contents, reflective essay
•Academic works
•Personal section, e.g. journals, photos
•Assessment section: evaluation from peers, teachers

17. GUIDELINES
•State objectives clearly.
•Give guidelines on what materials to include.
•Communicate assessment criteria to students.
•Designate time within the curriculum for portfolio development.
•Establish periodic schedules for review and conferencing.
•Designate an accessible place to keep portfolio.
•Provide positive washback-giving final assessments.

18. ADVANTAGES
•Foster intrinsic motivation, responsibility & ownership
•Promote S-T interaction with T as facilitator
•Individualize learning & celebrate uniqueness of each student
•Provide tangible evidence of a S’s work
•Facilitate critical thinking, self-assessment, & revision processes
•Opportunities for collaborative work w/ peers
•Assessment of multiple dimensions of language learning

19. GOOD ASSESSMENT METHOD?
•Is portfolio a good assessment tool?
•Check against the characteristics of good assessment:
•Validity
•Reliability
•Practicality
•Authenticity
•Washback
(Brown 259; Bailey 218)

20. OBSERVATION (1)
•Purpose:
•for teachers to make inferences about instructional or learning processes or
strategies
•to explain failure to learn
•Systematic, planned procedure for real-time recording of S verbal and nonverbal
behavior

21. OBSERVATION (2)
•Planning classroom observation
•the objectives of the observation
•aspects of teaching/learning included in observation
•keep elements of observation at one time limited
•number of Ss being observed at one time
•how many observations, one occasion or repeatedly?
•how to record your observations: anecdotal records, checklists, rating scales, (See
Brown, p. 268)
•how you will use the results

22. JOURNAL (1)
•Definition:
•An account of one’s thoughts, feelings, reactions, assessments, ideas, or progress
toward goals
•With little attention to structure, form or correctness
•Features:
•Self-reflection
•Writing practice; writing as a thinking process
•Individualization
•Communication with the teacher
•Most formative

23. JOURNAL (2)
•Guidelines:
•Introduce Ss to the concept of journal writing.
•State the objectives of the journal. (Brown, p. 262)
•Give guidelines on what kinds of topics to include.
•Provide optimal feedback in your responses.
•Designate appropriate time frames & schedules for review.
•Provide formative, washback-giving final comments.
•A good assessment measure?

24. SUMMARY OF ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
principle portfoliojournalconferenceinterviewobservationself/peer
practicality low low low mod mod mod
reliability mod mod low mod mod low
Face validity high mod high high high mod
Content validityhigh high high high high high
washback high high high mod mod high
authenticity high high high mod high high

25. PERFORMANCE TESTS
•Second Language Assessment: performance of a particular job or set of situated
functions.
•Strengths: using stimulus materials
•Authentic
•Direct
•Highly contextualized
(See Bailey pp. 208 -215)