Alternative Techniques of Assessment.ppt

Assessment
Techniques
Alternative

1. Alternative Methods
of Assessment
Dr. Rasha Osman
Higher Technological Institute

2. Let’s Discuss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkK06hpQmt4
The Questions:
•What is the role of alternative assessment in language learning?
•What are the Reasons for using alternative assessment:
•Provide Examples of alternative assessments?
•What are some Forms of alternative assessment?
•What is Performance based assessment?

3. •In the beginning of the semester we talked bout the differences between
alternative and traditional assessment methods.
•We agreed that alternatives to paper and pencils types of assessments
are more authentic.
•We discussed the fact that alternative methods of assessment are
formative in purpose, informal in regards to paper pencil type, not
summative although, they could be formal if you have clear scoring rubric
that guide students in regards to their performance and the expectations.

4. What is alternative assessment?
•In alternative assessment methods, students response to a question or a
task from the teacher.
These responses can come in different forms:
•portfolios
•journals
•essays
•student project
•presentations/ performance assessment
•group work
•oral reports
•interviews

5. Why alternative assessment
•Alternative assessment methods help students find different paths to
demonstrate their understanding.
•They help them practice managing the information in more creative and
critical thinking ways.
•Help schools focus on thinking skills rather than memorization. (Spivey, 2010)
•In language learning, alternative assessment methods show students’ ability
to use language not only knowing the language.
•Real language use.
•Increase motivation
•Students take responsibility of their own learning.
•It shows progress.

6. Table 1.1 page 13 represents distinctions between
alterative and traditional assessment methods
•Page 13, discussion of the differences between the two
methods.

7. •There are many resources available for teachers to help them
use alternative methods of assessment. There are many
articles and research that talked bout the importance of
assessment. There are also many websites and video clips that
provide teachers with ideas and creative assignments that
encourage differentiation of assessment in classroom.
•These resources guided this lecture. (see the reference slide for
details).

8. Different types of alternative methods of
assessment
•Observation checklists
•Portfolios
•Journals
•Anecdotal records
•Student project
•Presentations
•Group work
•Oral reports
•Student interviews

9. Alternative Assessment methods in language learning
All based on the Communicative language theory:
The alternative assessment methods shifted from the focus of competency to the
ability to function ( use this ability) effectively through language in particular
context in a given situation.
1-Interviews: verbal exchange between the teacher and students. Teacher asks
the questions and students response to the questions. From students’ responses,
teachers will know if the students know/understand/ master the materials or
not.
2-Short answers: require students to respond to specific question or a task
posed by the teacher that could require them to compare and contrast,
describe, draw, present ideas in visualized way using graphs, charts..
3-Observation: help collect data about students’ learning and progress.
4-Anecdotal records: are observational notes taken by the teachers to record
the experiences and the progress of a child (more used in language literacy
with children)
5-Performance based assessment: ( we talked abut this method of
assessment a lot: lecture 2, lecture 6, and today).

10. 5-Performance-based assessment: involve learners in actually performing the behavior
that we want to measure. In interactive tasks, test-takers are measured in the act of
speaking, requesting, responding, or in combining listening and speaking, and in
integrating reading and writing.
-Performance-based assessment is an alternative form of assessment that moves
away from traditional paper and pencil tests.
-The students are engaged in creating a final project that exhibits their understanding of
a concept they have learned.
-A unique quality of performance-based assessment is that is allows the students to
be assessed based on a process. The teacher is able to see first hand how the students
produce language in real-world situations. In addition, performance-based assessments
tend to have a higher content validity because a process is being measured. The focus
remains on the process, rather than the product in performance-based assessment”.
Examples: portfolios, journals, presentations, oral reports, letters, stories.
Source: http://audreymerrell.net/INTASC/INTASC8/Assessment/performancebasedassessment_files/pbassessment.html

11. 6-Portfolios: A purposeful collection of student work that demonstrates
achievement or improvement.
Advantages of portfolio
•Identify student weaknesses.
•Can be used to view learning and development of students.
•Can be used to gather information about students’ assignments and experiences.
•One of the most important benefits of using portfolios is the enhancement of critical
thinking skills which result from the need for students to:
•Develop evaluation criteria.
•Can be used as study guide
•Use this criteria to evaluate their work.
•Engage in self-reflection about their progress
*go back to the YouTube clip : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkK06hpQmt4

12. 7- Presentation:
A presentation is a mean of communication which can be adapted
to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group,
addressing a meeting, reporting on a project, presenting findings,
or briefing a team. It is the practice of showing and explaining the
content of a topic to an audience or learner, and show students’
ability to use the target language effectively.

13. Alternative assessment methods need
Rubrics
•“If you are using alternative methods of assessment, you need to use
rubrics. You need to grade them therefore, you need rubrics. You need an
objective way of grading. Based on the criteria you have established, you
rate your students’ performance: such as Unacceptable to good to
outstanding.
•In this way students are aware of your expectations
•You give rubric before the assessment
•It is like a checklist. because you give them a chance to be
creative( outstanding ) or fill on the expectations.”
(Spivey, 2010)

14. Examples: research paper Rubric

16. Summary
•Alternative assessment methods show students’ ability to use the
target language , Real language use, Increase motivation,
Students take responsibility of their own learning, and It shows
progress.
•Teacher needs to use rubric when using alternative assessment
methods to be objective and to be clear in her expectations and
her grading criteria.

17. References
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkK06hpQmt4ht.p://
rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?
screen=ShowRubric&module=Rubistar&rubric_id=1417749&
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNt0ftl_8NI
•http://course1.winona.edu/shatfield/air/research%20paper%20rubric.pdf
•Spivey, Brian, 2010. School of Education, department of instruction and
curriculum.. Escabiacounty school district.
•Brown, H. Douglas, 2004. Language Assessment: Principles and classroom
practices. Pearson Education, Inc.
•http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/upload/file706.pdf
•http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kimbrough/pilgrimlife/teamworkrubric.html