Language Testing and Assessment
Module 4
Content
I. Introduction to Testing and Assessment
II. Types of Assessment
III. Principles of Assessment
IV. Assessment Tool Design and Rubrics
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I. Introduction to Testing and Assessment
Task #1: KWL Chart
Topic: Assessing Student Learning
What I already know What I want to know What I have learnt
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Task #2
How do you interpret this
picture?
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1. What is Assessment?
• Key words:
a) activities
b) feedback
c) teaching and learning
Assessment: activities teachers and students use to collect
information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and
learning.
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Test Vs. Assessment
TESTS ASSESSMENT
• Periodic • Ongoing process
• Conscious process • Conscious or unconscious
• Score-oriented • Process-oriented
Test
Assessment
Teaching
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Task #3: Stop and Check
Direction
1. Choose one of the assessment tools typically used by you or your
teacher.
2. Explain the tool.
3. Do you think this helps you learn a lot? Why? Why not?
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Alternative tools of assessment include:
1) Portfolios
2) Observations
3) Self-/Peer-Assessment
4) Interviews
5) Projects
6) Journals
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Task 4: Think-Pair-Share
1. What information will you use as a basis for the grade?
2. What weighting (percentage of the final grade) will you
give to the different components?
2. Assessment Scheme
II. Types of Assessment
Types of Assessment
Types Purpose Phases Meaning
Diagnostic To inform Before Tells us what the student
instruction needs to learn
Tells us how well the student
Formative During
To improve is doing as the work
instruction
progresses
Tells us how well the student
Summative
After
To prove did at the end of a unit or
instruction
task
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Diagnostic or Pre-Assessment
• Checklist
• Pre-test
• KWL Charts
• Brainstorming
• Student Discussions
• Student Demonstrations
• Reflection
Diagnostic Assessment and Course Book Use
Add
No change Rewrite
Yes
Replace
Change
activities
Use the coursebook
extract?
Omit Re-order
No
Replace Reduce
(Harmer, 2007. p.183)
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Formative Vs. Summative
Formative Summative
Assessment for Learning (AfL) Assessment of Learning (AoL)
• When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative. • When the guest tastes the soup, that’s
• Occurs During Instruction summative.
• Process • Occurs at the end
• Constructive Feedback • Product
• Continuous • Evaluative Feedback
III. Principles of Assessment
Assessment Principles
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Sample Test #1
Standardized Test of English Proficiency
• No oral skills
Yes NO
• Writing tested by multiple-choice Valid?
Reliable?
grammar questions Authentic?
Practical
• Listening component is a poor-quality
Positive washback?
sound played in a large room.
• Students receive a single score.
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Sample Test #2
Mid-term Test Based on Unit Objectives
Yes NO
• Students write an essay
Valid?
• Teacher uses a rubric to score content, Reliable?
Authentic?
organization and form Practical
Positive washback?
• Test is returned within the week which
individualized comments.
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Task #5: Find at least 3 activities the teacher used to assess student
learning in this lesson. Explain why each activity was used.
February 10, 2020 21
IV. Assessment Tool Design and Rubrics
1. Designing Effective Assessment Tools
Align with learning objectives
Choose appropriate task types (e.g., multiple-choice, essays, interviews).
Consider learners’ proficiency levels.
Include clear instructions and time limits.
2. What is Rubric?
A scoring guide Increase
Useful for both
outlining criteria objectivity,
teachers and
and performance transparency, and
learners.
levels. reliability.
3. Types of Rubrics
Break performance into categories;
Analytic Rubric provides detailed feedback.
Gives an overall score; faster but less
Holistic Rubric detailed.
Sample Rubric – Speaking Task
Sample Rubric – Speaking Task
[Link]
4. Tips for Rubric Use
1 2 3
Share rubrics with Use rubrics to Train learners to
learners before the provide formative self-assess using
task. feedback. rubrics.
Project: Design an Assessment Plan
• Objective: Apply your understanding of language assessment by designing a basic
assessment plan for a lesson.
• Instructions: Work in a small group to:
• Choose a language lesson and design a simple assessment plan that includes:
• One diagnostic activity
• One formative activity
• One summative activity
• Briefly explain why you chose each activity and how it helps assess student
learning.
• Prepare a 3–5-minute presentation to share your plan with the class.
Task #6: Reflection
Look back Look back at the whole scenario of this workshop then:
point out examples of assessment tools used throughout the
Point out workshop
analyze whether the assessment tool reflects the principles we
Analyze have discussed.
References
• Brown, H. D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2019). Language assessment: Principles and classroom
practices (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.
• Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education
Limited.
• Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning teaching: The essential guide to English language teaching (3rd ed.).
Macmillan Education.
• Ur, P. (2012). A course in English language teaching. Cambridge University Press.