ASSESSMENT

CONCEPTS
AND ISSUES
CHAPTER 1
SYLLABUS
Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: Assessment Concepts and Issues
Session 3: Principles of Language Assessment
Session 4: Designing Classroom Language Tests
Session 5: Standards Based Assessment
Session 6:Standardized Testing
Session 7:Review
Session 8: Mid Test
SYLLABUS
Session 9: Alternatives in Assessment
Session 10:Assessing Listening (Group Presentation)
Session 11:Assessing Speaking (Group Presentation)
Session 12:Assessing Reading (Group Presentation)
Session 13:Assessing Writing (Group Presentation
Session 14: Asessing Group Presentation
Session 15: Grading and Student Evaluation
Session 16: Final Test
BOOK
Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices
H. Douglas Brown &
Priyanvada Abeywickrama
Pearson Longman
PRE TEST
What do you think about language assessment?
Do you think assessment is important?
Why do we need assessment?
TESTS, MEASUREMENT,
ASSESSMENT, TEACHING AND
EVALUATION
UNDERSTAND ABOUT
THESE
CONCEPTS/TERMS?
ASSESSMENT
TESTS
NORM-REFERENCED, CRITERION-REFERENCED
ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, PLACEMENT
TESTS, PROFICIENCY TESTS, APTITUDE TESTS
MEASUREMENT
QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE, INFORMAL, FORMAL,
FORMATIVE, SUMMATIVE
EVALUATION
ASSESSMENT &
TESTS

Assessment
Appraising or estimating the level or magnitude of some
attribute of a person (Mousavi, 2009, p.36)
Ongoing process
Encompasses a wide range of methodological techniques
 ASSESSMENT & TESTS (2)
Tests
A subset of assessment, a genre of assessment techniques, not the only form of
assessment in the class
Occur at particular times according to the curriculum
Scientific term=> a TEST is a method of measuring a person’s ability, knowledge or
performance in a given domain.
Method => an instrument --a set of techniques, procedures or items – that requires
performance on the part of the test-taker; must be explicit and structured
(e.g: Multiple choice prescribed correct answers; an essay writing prompt with a
scoring rubric; an oral interview based on a question script or a checklist of expected
responses).
Measure =>a process of quantifying test-taker’s performance to explicit
procedures; grading specific student’s level of competence.
Individual ability, knowledge or performance=> individual skill, competence,
background experience
Performance => test taker’s ability in performing language
Given domain => specific area: Reading, Speaking Listening, Writing.
MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

Measurement
The process of quantifying the observed performance of
classroom learners (p.4)
Quantitative measurement  numbers, rankings and grades
Qualitative measurement  written descriptions, oral feedback
MEASUREMENT &
EVALUATION (2)

Evaluation
It is involved when the results of a test or other assessment
procedure are used for decision making
Interpreting the information  performance is conveyed to the
test-taker
ASSESSMENT : FORMAL
AND INFORMAL
Informal Assessment
Elicit performance without recording results, nonjudgmental
Incidental, unplanned comments
Coaching
Impromptu feedback
Elicit performance without recording result and making fixed
conclusions.
ASSESSMENT : FORMAL
AND INFORMAL (2)
Formal Assessment
Exercises or procedures specifically designed to tap into a
storehouse of skills and knowledge
Systematic, planned sampling techniques constructed to give an
appraisal of students achievement
= tests?
Tests are formal assessment, but not all formal assessment is
testing, e.g. portfolio, journal
ASSESSMENT:
FORMATIVE AND
SUMMATIVE
Formative Assessment
Evaluating students in the process of “forming” their competencies
and skills
All kinds of informal assessment are formative

Summative Assessment
Aims to measure, or summarize, what students have learned
Happens at the end of a unit or a course
Often involves evaluation
POST TEST
Discussions in groups/pairs
What do you remember about:
ASSESSMENT
MEASUREMENT
TESTS
EVALUATION
NORM-REFERENCED &
CRITERION-REFERENCED
TESTS
Norm-referenced tests
Each individual score is compared to a mean, median, SD,
and/or percentile rank (e.g. your GRE score is in 89th
percentile)
To place test-takers on a mathematical continuum in rank
order
Scores are reported in a numerical form and/or percentile
rank
E.g. SAT, GRE, TOEFL
NORM-REFERENCED &
CRITERION-REFERENCED
TESTS (2)
Criterion-referenced tests
To give test-takers feedback, in a form of grades, on a
specific course
Classroom tests are typical of criterion-referenced tests
TYPES AND PURPOSES
OF ASSESSMENT
Achievement Tests
To measure students’ ability within a classroom lesson, unit,
or total curriculum
Limited to a particular material

Diagnostic Tests
To diagnose aspects of a language that a student needs to
develop in the future or that a course should include
TYPES AND PURPOSES
OF ASSESSMENT (2)
Placement Tests
To place a student into a particular level or a section of a
language curriculum or school
The student’s performance indicate the area where the
material is not too easy or too difficult

Proficiency Tests
Tests overall ability, not limited to any one course,
curriculum, or a single skill
Summative, norm-referenced
TYPES AND PURPOSES
OF ASSESSMENT (3)
Aptitude Tests
Getting less popular
To measure capacity or general ability to learn a foreign
language before taking a course and predict the success