UNIT 8 - ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

Assessment and evaluation must be directly related with the initial objectives and competences expected to achieve throughout the course.

1. DEFINITION

• ASSESSMENT is the process of gathering information on student learning.
• EVALUATION is the process of analysing, reflecting upon, and summarising assessment information, and making judgements and/or decisions based on the information collected.  

1.2. Comparison

“The multidimensionality of the difference between them, and the variation in each dimension, result in a very diverse array of examples, the majority of which are neither “assessment” nor “evaluation” but rather hybrids.” 

1.3 Assessment and evaluation: a decision making process

In order to carry out an assessment/evaluation process, the teacher must first think about a series of questions that will allow them to then create the tools.

• Which students will be assessed and why?
• What will be the focus of assessment?
• What assessment strategies will be used? in what contexts?
• How will the information be recorded?
• On the basis of the evidence collected, what patterns emerge?
• What is the significant evidence? what does this tell me about the child’s learning?
• What is the best way to report this information? who needs to hear it? 
• How will I use this information to improve my teaching?

2. STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING DATA: OBSERVATION

One of the most common strategies to collect information about the students’ process is through observation: the careful consideration and analysis of students’ behaviour and performance based on a broad range of contexts.

• In order to use observation effectively, teachers need to know a lot about students, language, and how students learn language, and they need to be able to interpret what they are observing.
• Students demonstrate what they think, know, and can do as they engage in various classroom activities that require the application of language processes and learning strategies.
• Teachers can learn a great deal about students by observing them engaged in such processes as reading, writing, and interacting with others (monitoring students’ learning).

2.1. Gathering observational data

Observations needs to be both formal and informal.

• PLANNED (FORMAL) OBSERVATIONS: Teachers need to focus their observations. Many teachers develop a systematic, rotational schedule. Ex.: they might decide to observe carefully one to three students per day in a variety of contexts (shared reading, independent and guided reading, writing conferences).

• UNPLANNED (INFORMAL) OBSERVATIONS: Important and relevant information can also be gathered more incidentally.

• OBSERVATIONS MADE IN THE CONTEXTS OF CONFERENCES/INTERVIEWS: Teachers can also gather important data about students’ attitudes, understandings, and knowledge through questioning students and talking with them. Some of the same information can be gathered through written questionnaires and surveys.

2.2. Recording/organizing observational data

• ANECDOTAL RECORDS: short narrative descriptions of observations in the classroom.

• CHECKLISTS (related to rubrics): Teachers find checklists useful as an organisational device to help focus their observations, and to clarify their own thinking about what behaviours are indicative of successful learning (prepared items). 

3. SAMPLES OF RUBRICS

Rubrics can be useful to assess and evaluate a wide range of areas, for example writing (with correction codes) and peer and group learning.

 

4. SELF-EVALUATION

As can be seen in the previous rubrics, these can also be used by students.

• When students are involved in reflecting on their own learning, they are empowered as learners.
• Reflection on their learning leads students to gain increasing control over their learning and language processes.
• Students in primary school can be involved both formally and informally in self-evaluation.
• Informal self-evaluation consists of the ongoing reflection about learning that is a natural daily part of the curriculum (ex., what did we learn? how did we solve the problem? what do I do when I come to a word I don’t know? did everyone keep on task in our group?, etc.)
• Teachers can encourage this kind of reflection in a variety of contexts, for example, reading and writing conferences, classroom discussions, literature circles, learning logs, shared reading, and shared writing. Some examples can be seen here:

    

 

• One way to involve students in more formal self- evaluation is through the use of classroom portfolios. A portfolio is a collection of work selected by the student for assessment and evaluation purposes to reflect his/her best or representative work.
• A good example of this is the LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO created by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It includes three sections (language biography, dossier and passport) that allows students to record their initial level, then keep track of their new knowledge as the course passes, and finally summarise their learning and compare.

5. REPORTING INFORMATION

• Students’ progress should be monitored continually and communicated to parents/caregivers at regular intervals.
• Reporting procedures need to be consistent /coherent with the philosophy and the learning outcomes of the curriculum.
• Traditionally, numerical marks, letter grades, or letter symbols have been used to report student progress; however, it is difficult to convey development in language learning through such grading systems alone.
• Student progress reports should be based on the data teachers have compiled in multiple ways and from various contexts.

As teachers write progress reports, they consider questions such as the following:

• What can the student do now that he/she could not do at the time of the last report?
• What has the student learned about the various language processes?
• What areas need attention in the next stage of the student’s development?
• What are the future language and learning goals for the student? 
• What can parents do at home to facilitate language development?