CHAPTER 4
Assessment Strategies for English
LESSON 13:
Assessment in Learning English
Objectives
In this lesson you will be able to:
* define assessment of learning;
* apply assessment strategies in the conduct of instruction; and
* understand the general use of assessment in teaching English.
Introduction
Since the beginning of the teaching and learning process, teachers have
been looking for ways to determine how much learners have learned from
their teachings. This is the main purpose of assessment, at least the
common connotation of what assessment does for teaching and learning.
However, in the dynamic nature that is the classroom, assessment provides
the teachers with more than simple measure of whether the learner captured
what was presented or not.
THINK: Assessment in Learning English
Assessment is conducted to determine whether the learners know,
understand, and are able to perform knowledge and competencies required
of them. Assessment could be viewed in three lenses:
Assessment for learning – This is a type of assessment that determines the
learners’ background knowledge and skills, and tracks their progress in
understanding.
Assessment as learning – This type of assessment is a more learner-centered
approach. This lets the learner reflect on the results of his/her progress and
plans the next steps to improve performance.
Assessment of learning – This is the more traditional view of learning as it
measures the learners’ attainment of the learning objectives or goals of the
lesson or of the standards.
What is assessed?
The teacher in the classroom would focus on more on the following areas to
assess under the K to 12 Curriculum:
Content Standards – These are the essential understandings that the learners
should learn. It basically answers the question “What should the learners
know?”, as stipulated in the K to 12 Curriculum.
Performance Standards – These are the abilities and skills that learners must
be able to demonstrate in relation to the content.
Learning Competencies – These are knowledge, skills, and attitudes that
learners have to demonstrate in every lesson or activity.
Concept Development – This is a measure of how the learners are able to
progress in the attainment of the standards.
How are learners assessed?
Learners’ progress is not only based on the tests given to them, but also on
the learning that takes place within the classroom and in different settings
outside of the classroom setting. The main purpose here is to gather
evidence of the learners’ learning through the daily activities the teacher
provides by the things that they say, write, and do. These may emerge from
the interactions in the classroom, their presentations, or the projects and
assignments they submit. From this information about the learners gathered
by the teacher, assessment in the classroom would follow a cycle:
(Image of a cycle with the following steps):
* Define learning outcomes
* Create assessment activities and assess learning outcomes
* Analyze the learners’ results
* Make adjustments and decisions based on the results analyzed
Defined learning outcomes determine which standards or competencies will
be assessed. Then, the teacher creates assessment activities to measure the
defined outcomes and given these activities to the learners, the teacher then
collects and analyzes these results, and uses them to adjust the next
lessons, provide more activities, or move on to the next one.
Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning)
The purpose of summative assessment in the traditional sense is to evaluate
learner performance usually at the end of the quarter, term, or year. It
provides the teacher an understanding of how the learners fare against the
set standards in the curriculum. Summative assessments are usually the
basis for grades of learners or teachers. Common summative tests are:
* Periodic/Quarterly examinations
* Final project or creative portfolio
* Final performance, demonstration, or report
* Chapter tests or end-of-unit tests
* Standardized tests (NAT, NCAE, and others)