Assessment: Is it fair?

Upper Intermediate

Lead-in

Work with a partner. Discuss the following questions.

• How do you normally feel before exams or assessments?

• When was the last time you did an exam or an assessment?
• How do you normally prepare for an exam or an assessment?

Vocabulary

1. Match the types of assessment (1–8) with their correct description (a–h).

1. observation a. a test on subject

knowledge Pronunciation:
word stress
2. exam b. a show of ability
In English, words
ending -tion always
c. a collection of work have the stress on
3. review
to show evidence the second last
of progress and/or syllable. For example,
achievement obserVAtion.
4. presentation d. a viewing of someone
doing the role they Which other words in
have trained for Vocabulary 1 follow
this pattern? Can you
5. portfolio e. a long text referring to
think of any other
one’s own research, as
words which follow
well as that of others
this pattern?
f. a talk, sometimes using
6. dissertation
images or handouts
and often to a group of
people
7. performance g. a written document
describing a visit to
another site
8. field report h. an interview about
performance over a
period of time

2. Work with a partner. Discuss the following questions.

• When are these types of assessment used?

• Which of them have you done?
• What do you think of each one?

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 Assessment: Is it fair?
Upper Intermediate

Listening

1. Tick () the types of assessment you think Hyun Ji and Keith might do in their courses.

Hyun Ji – Digital Arts course Keith – Politics course Listening strategies:

note-taking
performance performance
Taking notes is a
exam exam challenge as you need
to write at the same
presentation presentation time as you listen.

observation observation • Use short forms

for common words,
such as b/c for
dissertation dissertation
because.
• Leave out words
performance performance which do not help
you remember, such
portfolio portfolio as the, a, an.

review review

2. Listen and check your answers.

3. Listen again and makes notes on Hyun Ji and Keith’s opinions of the different forms of
assessment.

Assessment type Opinions

Dissertations

Reviews

Portfolios

Exams

Presentations

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 Assessment: Is it fair?
Upper Intermediate

2. Work with a partner. Discuss the following questions.

• In your opinion, whose assessments are more difficult? Why?

• Are these types of assessment similar to those used in your country?

Language

1. Look at phrases 1–12 from the conversation and add them to the correct column in the table.
1. One bad day and you can ...
2. It’s just a …
3. I’m quite relaxed about …
4. I feel like I’m ...
5. I think it’s a good assessment as …
6. I prefer … to ...
7. I think … are a good way of …
8. In my opinion, they are an effective way of …
9. I think … are fine, as long as …
10. I’d say … is fairer, as you can …, rather than ...
11. I get to ...
12. That’s why I don’t consider them to be ...

Supporting Supporting with conditions Countering

Preferences/Comparisons Feelings

2. Use the phrases to debate the following topic.

• There should be no formal assessments for primary school children.

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 Assessment: Is it fair?
Upper Intermediate

Task

1. Work in groups. Evaluate four subjects with different types of assessment. For each subject:

• Agree on a type of assessment which is used for that subject.

• Discuss any alternative approaches.
• Debate the fairness of the assessment methods.

Subject/Area Assessment types Alternatives Comments

2. Work with a new partner. Discuss your group’s views and see if there are any similar ideas.

Reflection

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