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Abstract
Alternative assessment offers the teacher the flexibility to use various forms and involve
several practi esà i à o de à toà de elopà lea e s à li guisti à o pete eà a dà pe fo a e,à
cultivate higher order skills, enhance motivation and foster learner autonomy. To this end,
alternative assessment modes can be used interchangeably, according to the syllabus
objecti es,àtheàlea e s à eedsàa dàtheàtea he sàde a ds.à Theàp ese tàstud à i t odu esàtheà
diary as an alternative form of teaching, learning and assessment in the context of project
implementation for movies and readers for 1st and 2nd graders of Senior High School, and uses a
peer- and self-assessment rubric to evaluate the whole process and the final product. The
results reveal high scores in most of the fields under consideration, i.e., collaboration,
communication, writing and presentation skills.
Alternative assessment has started to gain ground lately because of its contribution to the
teaching and learning process, but also because of the modifications it has generated in the
assess e tà p a ti es.à “u hà odifi atio sà ega dà theà a sà i fo atio à a outà lea e s à
performance, strategy use, motivation and autonomy is collected (Kofou, 2016). Its main
characteristics involve informal assessment procedures, usually formative in nature, focusing
o à othà theàp o essàa dàp odu tàofàlea i g,à e uit à i à edu atio alàoppo tu ities à Tsaga ià&à
West,à ,àlea e s àa ti eài ol e e tài àtheàlea i gàp o essàa dàst essà eliefà He a àetà
al., 1992).
Such forms of alternative assessment, which offer teachers and learners the possibility to
cooperate, use teaching and learning strategies respectively and be actively involved in the
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assessment procedure, include the portfolio, observation, diaries and learning logs, projects,
conferences and debates, self- and peer assessment, think aloud, anecdotal records, checklists,
learner profiles, progress cards, questionnaires and rating scales (Brindley, 1989; Genesee &
Upshur, 1996; Hamayan, 1995).
The main advantage of all these forms of alternative assessment is flexibility: they can be
used interchangeably, integrated in broader forms of assessment and triangulated with
traditional testing techniques. Other benefits which can be attributed to alternative
assessment are related to the useful results it produces reflecting a wide range of abilities and
skills, the evaluation of both the process and product of learning and other language behaviors,
su hàasàlea e s àattitudesàa dàstud àha its,àa dàtheà o ito i gàofài st u tio à àp o idi gàtheà
teachers with feedback that allows them to modify instruction (Genesee & Hamayan, 1994). It
also relates to the use of higher-order thinking skills of synthesis and analysis and supports
students psychologically by enhancing their self-esteem and by fostering motivation. Finally, it
promotes autonomous and self-directed learning, as students become aware of their strengths
and weaknesses, and set learning goals.
As regards the shortcomings of alternative assessment, they mainly involve its time-
consuming form of data analysis so that comprehensive feedback could be given to learners,
the satisfaction of the principles of testing, i.e. validity, reliability, practicality and objectivity
(Cameron, 2001), conceptual clarity to ensure consistency, a mechanism for evaluation
(Worthen, 1993) and generalizability (Hamp-Lyons, 1996). However, alternative assessment
needs to satisfy the same standards as conventional tests do (Cameron, 2001) so that reliable
results could be extracted. Possible solutions to that include triangulation of results with
standardized tests, clearly set assessment criteria and use of multiple forms of assessment.
The present study focuses on introducing the diary as an alternative form of teaching,
learning and assessment in the context of project implementation as part of the curriculum at
Senior High School. The aim of the research is first to integrate the diary with another form of
learning and assessment, i.e. the project, and then use it as a teaching, learning and
assessment tool to promote learning, trigger class participation, enhance collaboration and get
feedback from students.
2. Diaries-journals-logs
Diaries, journals or logs can serve many purposes. They can be used as: a research tool in
language research studies and pedagogy to document language learning/teaching experiences;
a means of promoting and understanding researcher development in language research
programs; a means of promoting teacher reflection, personal-professional development and
action; a means of evaluating courses; a teaching and learning aid with various age groups
(Tsagari & West, 2004).
In educational practice, several forms of journals with specific focus could be used: (1)
personal writing journals or diaries on which students experiment with new forms of writing,
such as writing essays, letters, dramatic dialogue, poetry or as a place to store ideas for future
writing topics; (2) response journals or reading logs in which students are asked to read and
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construct meaning from a story, book or other types of literature and other material, such as
films and videos (which form the basis of the present study); (3) dialogue journals on which
students make regular entries (at their own proficiency level) addressed to the teacher on
topics of their choice (interests, attitudes to learning, thoughts etc.) and set an interaction
between students and teachers; (4) language learning logs (structured, focusing on specific
a easà ofà tea he sà i te ests à o à hi hà stude tsà a à setà goalsà a dà assessà theà a hie e e tà
targets they have mastered, the targets they have found useful and important, the targets they
are having difficulty mastering, the learning experiences, needs, skills and instructional
strategies; (5) grammar journals which focus on grammar and thus students can notice and
treat grammar errors; (6) strategies-based learning logs which are based on the strategies
students use in the learning process to become autonomous; (7) self-assessment reflections in
an open-ended way through questions; (8) diaries of attitudes, feelings and any affective
factors which help students achieve self-understanding and teachers to effectively facilitate
students achieve their goals; (9) acculturation logs which link language success with culture
changes (Brown, 2010; Tsagari & West, 2004).
ásà fo à theà lea e s,à aà dia à o à jou alà isà aà logà o à a ou tà ofà o e sà feeli gs,à ea tio s,à
thoughts, ideas, experiences of success or progress toward goals, usually written with little
attention to structure, form, or correctness (Brown, 2010). It is a first-person account of a
language learning or teaching experience documented though regular entries and then
analyzed (Tsagari & West, 2004), and also a tool of reflection which helps the learner to assess
what s/he has learnt or discussed on a course by summarizing, analyzing and commenting on
the course content. Its pedagogical aim is to set an open dialogue between teachers and
lea e sàa dàgi eàlea e sàtheàoppo tu it àtoàuseà iti gàasàaà thi ki g àp o essà B o ,à ;à
Swan et al., 2006). More specifically, diaries can introduce students to self-assessment through
which they can monitor their progress, identify areas of difficulty, reflect on what and how
u hàthe àa eàlea i g;àassessàstude ts à iti gàa ilit ;àassessàstude ts à eadi gàp o essesàa d
strategies; give students the opportunity to express and review course goals and requirements
about language learning; become more aware of the criteria assessment is based on; give
students a chance to record and evaluate experiences with English use inside and outside the
classroom; encourage students to practise writing and speaking; collect information on
stude ts à ie s,à eliefs,à attitudes,à o kà ha its,à i te ests,à p efe e esà elatedà toà la guageà
lea i g;à i easeà stude ts à o s ious ess,à espo si ility and involvement in the teaching-
learning process (Tsagari & West, 2004).
According to literature, certain criteria should be set and steps followed so that, albeit their
free form, diaries could be successfully used as assessment tools: Specifically, teachers should:
(1) introduce the students to the concept of diary writing in a more free form, without the
teacher correcting every grammatical or spelling error; (2) set the objectives of the diary and
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link them to the curriculum objectives; (3) define the type of the diary used and its form,
solita à o à joi tà dia iesà i di idualà stude ts à a hie e e tà o à i à o ju tio à ithà othe à
students); (4) give guidelines on the content and what kinds of topics to include; (5) specify the
criteria for assessing the diaries and the assessment value; (6) specify the layout and mechanics
(booklet, electronic, cover etc.); (7) specify the diary times (on a daily, weekly or occasional
asis àa dàuseàaà otatio às ste àsoàthatàthe àdoà otàha eàtoà eadàallàstude ts àjou als all the
time; (8) designate appropriate time frames and schedules for review; (9) train students in
diary keeping (record events or topics covered, write about impersonal, factual matters to
more personal, and finally to interpersonal and personal opinions, so as to develop reflection,
critical thinking and use of appropriate metalanguage; (10) provide formative feedback
responses and meaningful washback-giving final comments by giving a credit for the effort and
the quality of the journal; (11) get the students to be actively involved in diary evaluation
(reread the journal entries, gain powerful insights into their class behavior and motivation, tell
in writing in what ways they have improved, set achievement goals) (Brown, 2010; Tsagari &
West, 2004).
Finally, as regards the score of diaries on the principles of assessment, Brown (2010) alleges
that practicality, as in most forms of alternative assessment, is rather low. Reliability can be
maintained as far as the diary adheres to clear stated objectives, whereas content and face
validity are high if the diary entries are closely related to curricular goals. Finally, the washback
effect could be very high, especially in dialogue journals, in the form of the feedback students
receive, which relates to the learning goals set.
3. The research
3.1 Methodology
The steps of diary implementation described above were followed and students were
introduced to the concept of the diary, its form and type (booklet for the class needs, and
electronic at the end of the course), the content, its assessment criteria and so on. The 1st
graders watched three movies related to education, one for each group. The movies were
Freedom Writers, The Dead Poets “o iet and The Theory of Everything, and were selected by
each group according to their interests. The 2 nd graders dealt withàaà eade s àp oje tàa dàhadàtoà
read three readers they selected according to their level and preferences, one for each group:
Wuthering Heights, Little Women and Moby Dick. All groups either watched a part of each
movie or read a chapter every week and had to fill out a page of their diary with comments on
the plot, the characters, any difficulties they faced, the quotes they liked, etc. (see Appendix).
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The members of the groups shared their roles so that everyone took part in the study, writing
and class discussion. During the lesson, there was a group and class discussion about the part
of the movie or chapter of the book the students had watched or read before, so that group
members could fill out any missing information. During the class conference, there were also
uestio s,à la ifi atio s,à o a ula à e pla atio sà a dà tea he sà feed a kà a dà guida eà fo à
further research. The whole procedure offered the students motivation, a voice of self-
expression and eagerness to watch or read more and talk about the films and readers. At the
end of the project, the students compiled the full diary of the movie or reader they had worked
on, by adding a cover, making alterations and adding related images. They also prepared, with
theàtea he sàguida e,àaàPo e Poi tàpresentation, which they all presented in class and had to
assess themselves and their peers based on certain criteria as described in the evaluation
rubric.
The use of the diary as a teaching, learning and assessment tool guided the students to the
points that they had to pay attention to throughout the project, whereas the assessment rating
scale set the criteria they had to fulfill during the final presentation. Thus they knew from the
very beginning what they should do throughout the whole process, how to manage their work
and what the final product they had to produce would be like. The evaluation rubric was
created by adapting various rubrics (see, for example, West Virginia or Buck Institute for
Education rubrics) used for project assessment on a 5-point Likert scale. The criteria of the
rubric were related to group- and peer evaluation, debate, PowerPoint presentation, oral
presentation and writing.
3.2 Results
The results are high for both self- and peer assessment for 1st graders (a bit higher for self-
assessment). More specifically, about 8-9 out of 10 students got or gave a high score for
leadership, cooperation, attitude, effort, performance, information sharing, listening to others,
time management and task focus. The debate part showed a bit lower results as regards the
information management, applied reasoning and community building. The PowerPoint
presentation, i.e., sequencing of information, content accuracy, use of graphics, background,
spelling and grammar, and text-font choice and formatting, exhibited lower results for the self-
than the peer-assessment (about 60% high score for self-assessment and about 80% high score
for peer assessment). Finally, in the writing part, the results were similar, i.e., about 70% high
score for the organization, development, sentence structure, word choice and grammar usage,
and mechanics. This is evident in table 1 which shows high score results (percentages for scales
5 and 4) on all the criteria set, not only for 1 st g ade s à pee à assess ent, but also for 2nd
g ade s ào e,àasàe plai edà elo .
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B Debate
Information management: Makes use of specific knowledge,
13 personal experience and textual references. 53.3 20 62.5 12.5
Applied reasoning: Presents convincing arguments and draws
14 conclusions. 60 13.3 81.3 6.3
Community building: Creates an environment that encourages
15 others to share ideas, feelings, experiences and theories. 60 6.7 43.8 50
C PowerPoint
Sequencing of information: Information is organized in a clear,
16 logical way. 60 13.3 46.7 46.7
Content accuracy: All content throughout the presentation is
17 accurate. 60 13.3 53.3 40
Use of graphics: All graphics are attractive and support the
18 content of the presentation. 53.3 43.8 31.3
19 Background: Background is appropriate for the topic. 50 28.6 62.5 25
Spelling and Grammar: Presentation has no misspellings or
20 grammatical errors. 66.7 13.3 62.5 18.8
Text-Font Choice and Formatting: Text formats (color, bold,
21 italics) have been carefully planned. 57.1 21.4 53.3 13.3
D Oral Presentation
22 Preparedness: Completely prepared and has rehearsed. 57.1 21.4 31.3 43.8
Presentation of information: stays on topic all the time; there is
23 beginning, middle, conclusion. 57.1 7.1 62.5 6.3
24 Eye contact: makes eye contact with the audience. 78.6 7.1 40 40
25 Speaking skills: speaks clearly and distinctly. 50 7.1 56.3 31.3
E Writing
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For 2nd graders, the results were even higher. More specifically, 8-10 out of 10 students
highly rated all the criteria except for their contribution to the group, management and
presentation of information, text-font choice and formatting, preparation for the oral
presentation and organization in writing, which were a bit lower (table 1). The results also
show that 2nd graders were more responsible, better followed the team rules, displayed a more
positive attitude, had fewer arguments, built a stronger community, presented a more
accurate content and had more attractive graphics in their PowerPoint presentation,
developed better speaking skills in their oral presentation, and had a better choice of
vocabulary and more sophisticated grammar in their writing. On the other hand, 1 st graders
were better at listening to teammates and text formats.
ápa tàf o àtheàstude ts àself- and peer assessment, during the final class conference, it was
evident that keeping a diary was a great and motivating experience, and helped the students
keep track of the plot. It also enhanced collaboration as the members of each group had to
work together in order to complete the diary. Throughout the project, the students learnt a lot
of things about the period they had to study, had a life lesson as they critically commented on
various quotes from the films and readers, and through diary sharing they had the opportunity
to trigger discussion.
4. Conclusion
The present study reveals that alternative forms of assessment can be highly motivating to
the learners, promote active involvement and produce meaningful results. Furthermore, if they
are designed and implemented a efull à fo àso eàti e,à the à a à eàusedà toà assessàlea e s à
performance, skills, strategies, attitudes and behaviors. The alternative practice of the movie
and reading diary analyzed above employs authentic material, offers useful information about
the lea e s àskills,àa dàisàp a ti al,àasàitàdoesà otà eedà ultipleà esou esàtoà eài ple e tedà
except for the movies, readers and the diary format (Bachman & Palmer 1996). A more
o siste tà e aluatio à ofà theà lea e s à p og essà à i o po ati gà aà testà ouldà triangulate the
results of the whole process and probably increase its reliability and validity. However, instead
of a test, the final product of the diary in the form of writing for each group and grade was
marked by the teacher since it was part of the project, and the scores were also high,
contributing to the reliability of the assessment. The content of the diary met curricular goals,
which renders validity also high. Time constraints of class discussion and collaboration probably
comprise a limitation, which means that thorough organization of a diary is a prerequisite for
its successful implementation.
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References
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Appendix
My Reading Diary
Name
Date
Book title
Author
Comments
Thoughts and
experiences of the
chapter/pages read
My favourite character
My favourite quote
Problems
Follow-up
Rating
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