UNDERSTANDING ABOUT ClASSROOM ASSESSMENT

AND ITS ADMINISTER

A. tentang classroom assessment

Classroom assessment is both a teaching approach and a set of techniques. The assessment
process emphasizes data collection of student performance to diagnose learning problems,
monitor progress, and give feedback for improvement. The assessment process emphasizes
data collection of student performance to diagnose learning problems, monitor progress, and
give feedback for improvement. Involves using multiple methods in order to obtain student
information through a variety of assessment strategies.

The approach is that the more you know about what and how students are learning, the better
you can plan learning activities to structure your teaching is also a systematic approach to
formative evaluation, used by instructors to determine how much and how well students are
learning. The techniques are mostly simple, non-graded, anonymous, in-class activities that
give both you and your students useful feedback on the teaching-learning process.

Characteristics of Classroom Assessment

•Learner-Centered- its focus is on observing and improving learning, rather than on

observing and improving teaching.
•Teacher-Directed- the individual teacher decides what to assess, how to assess, and how to
respond to the information gained through the assessment
•Mutually Beneficial-students reinforce course content and strengthen their self-assessment
skills
•Formative- its purpose is to improve the quality of student learning,not to provide evidence
for evaluating or grading students; it provides information on what, how much, and how well
students are learning.
•Context-Specific - the assessment technique is chosen to fit the subject matter and the needs
of the particular class
•Ongoing the creation and maintenance of a classroom "feedback loop"

B. Identify wash back and feedback in testing

Washback in Feedback

Assessment and feedback are important part in teaching learning process where scoring or
grading does not has meaningful if there is not feedback. Teacher should provides quality
feedback that can be considered as reflection of her/his attention for the students so it will
build the motivation to them to learn better, then it can be guide for the students to improve
their quality of writing. The feedback both oral and written must be delivered in
comprehensible and meaningful for the students. By giving feedback communicatively, the
teacher will know the weakness of each students in order to get positive washback and use it
as further view in teaching and testing.

Generally, when assessing articles written by students, teachers often write lengthy comments
at the bottom of a work. These comments give a sense of personalization, and of course are
very time consuming, but how effective are they?

Of course, the main problem with providing this kind of feedback is that it often becomes
useless and does not provide a way to help students in the future.

To be effective, feedback must be not only correct, but must also be helpful (deal, a feedback
must give students a clear and concrete next step. Traditionally, feedback is considered bad
enough at doing this.

There are three forms of feedback for students that will increase their enthusiasm for
learning, including:

1. Educational Feedback

The purpose of this feedback is to provide an explanation of the process and student learning
outcomes. The teacher will receive information related to whether or not the student's
answers or actions during learning. In this case, the teacher must provide a good
understanding so as not to create negative assumptions.

To be sure, if the student's actions or answers are wrong, the teacher does not immediately
blame, but explains how it should be. Conversely, if the student's answer is correct, the
teacher as much as possible continues to foster enthusiasm so that the child continues to
improve his learning achievement.

2. Motivational Feedback

This type of feedback is aimed at students who are less able to carry out the learning process
well. For example, if a child does not respond to a question correctly, the teacher must still
provide feedback as a form of attention. The feedback is, of course, motivational.

What is meant by feedback is feedback that aims to motivate students to continue to improve
in order to achieve learning targets. In addition, teachers should also insert suggestions
related to learning tips and tricks. That way, students not only grow a sense of enthusiasm,
but are also accompanied by concrete actions according to the teacher's suggestions.

3. Appreciative Feedback

There is no motivation, feedback for students should also be appreciative. That is, the teacher
appreciates all students' efforts during learning. This feedback is usually directed at students
who successfully complete assignments. However, that does not mean it should not be given
to students who have not succeeded. In fact, every student deserves appreciation from his
teacher.
Even though the success is small, students really need an award even if it is just a
congratulation. This is where the teacher must play a role in creating an impression on the
souls of students that they have succeeded in doing the task. Even so, don't let them feel too
cool that they forget that there is still a long way to go. So, in addition to appreciation,
teachers are also obliged to motivate them to be even more active.

Identify Washback and Feedback in Testing

Washback in Testing

In the educational measurement literature, ‘washback’ is variously known as ‘test

impact’, ‘consequential validity’, ‘systemic validity’, ‘measurement-driven instruction’ or
‘curricular alignment’. Various labels are attached to the concept of exam influence in
the field of language testing and teaching, too. Some of the best-known are ‘backwash’,
‘washback’ and ‘impact’.

Definitions of terms in language testing

In their simple definition, ‘backwash’ or ‘washback’ refer to the influence of testing on

teaching and learning. However, numerous explanations of the term ‘washback’ can be
found throughout the published research and literature on language testing with
various meanings, which reveal differences in scope and intentionality.

Language testers consider ‘washback’ as one dimension of ‘impact’. The latter is used to
describe effects on the wider educational context. For example, Wall (1997), who
discusses in detail the relationship between ‘impact’ and ‘washback’, suggests that
‘washback’ is ‘frequently used to refer to the effects of tests on teaching and learning’
whereas ‘impact’ refers to ‘any of the effects that tests may have on individuals, policies
or practices, within the classroom, the school, the educational system, or society as a
whole’.

“washback” sendiri menunjukkan efek atau pengaruh penilaian dari proses belajar
mengajar. Pengaruh penilaian itu sendiri, dalam konteks ini, ada dua macam: positive
dan negative washback. Pengaruh penilaian yang negatif menunjukkan adanya gejala
kekhawatiran yang ditandai dengan perencanaan kurikulum yang bersifat monoton dan
menitikberatkan hanya pada satu aspek keterampilan saja. Dengan
menggunakan grammar-translation method misalnya, tujuan akhir dari penerapan
metode ini tidak lain dan tidak bukan supaya pelajar bahasa dapat memenuhi ketentuan
kelulusan nilai pada ujian akhir. Logika penerapan metode tersebut didasarkan atas
keyakinan bahwa materi ujian itu akan bertumpu pada keakuratan bahasa (language
accuracy) dan inti dari belajar bahasa itu adalah memahami sturktur dalam bahasa itu
sendiri saja. Oleh karenanya, pelajar layak untuk dibekali materi itu sejak dini.

Sementara pada ujian yang sebenarnya, keempat keterampilan (listening, speaking,

reading dan writing) tercakup didalamnya. Mengantisipasi berbagai kemungkinan
bentuk soal pada ujian, akan memberikan dampak pada bagaimana proses belajar
mengajar tidak hanya menitikberatkan hanya pada salah satu aspek keterampilan
berbahasa saja. Berbeda dengan negative washback, membangun ilmu pengetahuan
pada anak didik dengan cara membangun aspek-aspek penunjang demi keutuhan
pencapaian dari pengajaran, merupakan apa yang kita sebut dengan istilah positive
washback.

Theorical Models of Washback

There are fifteen possible washback hypotheses relating to various behaviours,

attitudes, test consequences, and the different effects on different persons: 1) A test will
influence teaching 2) A test will influence learning 3) A test will influence what teachers
teach 4) A test will influence how teachers teach 5) A test will influence what learners
learn 6) A test will influence how learners learn 7) A test will influence the rate and
sequence of teaching 8) A test will influence the rate and sequence of learning 9) A test
will influence the degree and depth of teaching 10) A test will influence the degree and
depth of learning 11) A test will influence attitudes to content, method, etc. of
teaching/learning 12) Tests that have important consequences will have washback 13)
Tests that do not have important consequences will have no washback 14) Tests will
have washback on all learners and teachers 15) Tests will have washback effects for
some teachers and some learners, but not for others.

A few years later, Alderson and Hamp-Lyons (1996) revisited and refined the Washback
Hypotheses in Alderson and Wall (1993), as follows:

Tests will have different amounts and types of washback on some teachers and learners
than on other teachers and learners. The amount and type of washback will vary
according to (1) the status of the test (the level of the stakes); (2) the extent to which
the test is counter to current practice; (3) the extent to which teachers and textbook
writers think about appropriate methods for test preparation ... ; and (4) the extent to
which teachers and textbook writers are willing and able to innovate.

Some criteria to promote beneficial washback.

The first is that for a test to provide beneficial washback, test-takers and language
programme representatives (including teachers, administrators, curriculum designers,
etc.) must understand the purpose of the test. What does it measure? To what end(s)
will the results be used? Hughes (1989: 46) made this point when he suggested that, to
promote beneficial washback, the test must be ’known and understood by students and
teachers’.

Secondly, results must be believable to test-takers and user agencies and must be
provided in a timely, detailed fashion. The more clearly interpretable and informative
the score report, the greater the likelihood that the test will yield positive washback
(Shohamy, 1992: 515).
Thirdly, it also matters a great deal that the test-takers find the results credible and fair.
If a test lacks face validity, it is unlikely that its results, no matter how clearly presented,
will promote effective learning, improved teaching or positive curricular reforms.

Fourthly, a test will promote beneficial washback to programmes to the extent that it
measures what programmes intend to teach. If teachers and administrators can look at
their students’ performance on an extemal-to-programme measure that clearly relates
to the programme, they will have confidence in the positive results (where students
succeed), and they will take seriously the negative results (where students fall short of
mastery).

Di dalam pembuatan ‘the assessment system’ yang baik maka seorang guru harus
mencantumkan washback strategies, karena washback strategies itu merupakan alat
atau instrumentnya assessment atau test. Sebagai contoh, ketika seorang siswa tidak
dapat mengerjakan tugas dengan baik maka seorang guru tidak boleh menyatakan
siswa malas dan bodoh, akan tetapi seorang guru harus melakukan instroveksi diri,
apakah soal yang dibuat  assessment tidak bisa dikatakan baik dan berhasil jika tidak
ada washback strategiesnya di dalamnya. Di dalam ‘washback strategies’, ada dua bagian
yang sangat penting yang dapat digunakan guru yaitu ‘praise, dan feedback.

C. Explain about test administration

The whole process of test administration is important not just because we expect
everything to run smoothly – although we certainly do want this. There are theoretical
reasons for considering all aspects of administration carefully. however, the importance of
validity, or how to ensure that the inferences made from test scores are meaningful and can
be supported. Any mistakes, inconsistencies, or abnormalities at any stage in the test
administration process can threaten the validity

The administration is all activities carried out through cooperation within an organization
based on a predetermined plan to achieve goals.

then it can be concluded that

Test administration is the process of carrying out test activities starting from the planning
process, and preparing test scripts to carry out tests (doing tests).

We will thus conclude a test administration as one that is run by a test organization of a
certain size. However, from the description, it will be seen how many activities are also
related to how an educational institution can carry out its testing activities. Assuming that the
test has been designed, piloted, and field-tested, test specifications have been agreed upon,
and a 'decision' has been made.
THERE ARE 13 IMPORTANT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE
ATTENTION TO
1. construction system
In large-scale testing, there may be a requirement for hundreds of forms
(versions) of testing each year. The most obvious reason why we need multiple forms
is to test security. A construction system might require more than one set of test
specifications and the first set of items.

2. sourcing and collecting raw material

The range of possible prompt and item types are specified in the test
specification. Many tests require material other than prompt. These materials may
include readings that will support questions or listening texts that must be recorded
onto cassettes or CDs. People are needed to produce the required amount of text.

3. Item writing and review

for both of these scenarios, the quality of the work should be checked.

Each part must have qualified specifications, and have the quality of the necessary
statistics to make it usable in operational tests. This means that each item must be
reviewed. Item or task review is a very important part of the quality assurance

process.

It usually consists of four sub-processes:

● Content review: ensure that the item conforms to specifications.

● Key check: ensure that the answer is correct, that the distractor is in multiple-
choice the item cannot possibly be correct, and that the suggested answer for
each constructed-response item (script or tagging guide) is feasible.
● Bias or sensitivity review: give serious consideration to whether an item or its
items words tend to produce a bias towards certain groups of test takers, upset
some test takers, or cause a violation.
● Editorial review: check each item or assignment to make sure there are no
spellings errors, grammatical errors, or other errors that may complicate
processing prompt language
4. Item Banking
All items or tasks that survive review need to be banked or stored, in a format
that allows easy retrieval according to any number of search criteria. Item banks are
usually done electronically so that searching through the bank is easy. This means that
it is necessary to have computer technicians maintain the system and update the
database with new items and tasks as they are produced.

5. Test assembly
In a computer adaptive test, where a computer selects the next item for any
individual test taker, test assembly is automatic. The item bank is the basis for the
 selection of items based on the current student model. Since 2005, when the TOEFL
iBT was introduced, large-scale computer-based language testing has reverted to
linear forms.

6. Preparation and dispatch

a. presentation
b. printing and duplication
c. storage system
d. record-keeping
7. Distribution systems
Paper-based tests and physical test components need to be extracted from storage
and dispatched by secure means to test centres. Receipt of materials needs to be
confirmed. The number of tests dispatched needs to match the number of test takers
registered. Some testing agencies employ courier firms to distribute components to
local test centres. This outsourcing has to be carefully managed to ensure reliable and
secure services.

8. Environment security
When large-scale testing is involved, the management of the local test
administration site is normally the role of a local agent. Responsibility for the overall
security of the site nevertheless remains with the testing agency. It is important that a
member of the agency, or a local representative trained and certified by the agency, is
responsible for the overall performance of all personnel involved in the testing. The
responsibility of the site manager extends to site security beyond the immediate rooms
used for test taking.

9. Interlocutors and raters

Perhaps even more discussed than the processes or physical environment of the test
are the interlocutors and raters needed for the administration of speaking tests.
Speaking tests are unusual in that they need multiple secure, noise-free rooms. Each
room needs to accommodate an interlocutor, one to three test takers, and a second
rater. And while the physical resources demand significant investment and
management, the human resources are even more challenging. Testing agencies need
to recruit enough interlocutors and raters to process the expected volume, and also
need to train them in advance. Rater training is a large task in itself and so we will
consider this topic separately below.

10. Delivery system

Any materials and equipment should be checked and ready for use. Test
components need to be transferred securely to and from the rooms in which tests are
to be conducted. If recording, playback or computer systems need to be used, these
should be checked in advance. Replacements should be available, and technicians on
hand in the event of problems.

11. Scoring systems

 Scripts or speech samples are sent to raters unless these are scored during the test
itself. In many speaking tests the interaction is recorded for third rating if necessary.
and the recordings need to be safely stored. If responses on paper can be scored
automatically, bubble sheets need to be fed into computers.

12. Retrieval systems

As soon as a test is over, all test components must be collected. Scripts must be
posted (or transmitted electronically) for scoring. Confidential materials that cannot
be reused must be shredded, and reusable materials returned to storage. In computer-
based tests all responses must be stored on servers.

13. Feedback systems

14. Once scores are stored in student files, reports are generated for various users.
Individual test takers need to be notified of outcomes. If the test is for university entry
or employment, the score users (e.g. admissions officers) are sent separate reports.
Finally, in many cases it is necessary to produce an aggregate report on the
performance of test takers in a particular context. In the United States, for example.
all test results must be reported by racial background in order to monitor social
mobility.
D. Practice administering a sample test