Making the best use of assessment

1. Making the best use of assessment Waldemar Martyniuk

2. Problem with assessment – possible reasons • a failure to recognise that assessment needs to fulfil a wide range of legitimate purposes • an assumption that a single assessment tool will be able to serve all needs • a lack of awareness that it is the use made of assessment, not necessarily the assessment process itself, that will largely determine its impact • a tendency to search for universal solutions to assessment issues and neglect the significance of context M. Fleming

3. Purposes of assessment • to provide a record of achievement • to provide evidence of progress • to motivate learners • to ensure that the needs of all pupils are being addressed (diagnosis and control) • to enable teachers to plan next stages of teaching • “to verify the extent to which the schools meet the requirements to develop pupils’ language competences necessary for successful life long learning”

4. Approaches to assessment • Assessment of learning(and teaching) • Assessment for learning(and teaching) • Portfolio assessment • Self-assessment • Peer assessment

5. Making the best use of assessment • The fundamental question is: ‘WHY do we want to have an assessment scheme?’ • Suitable assessment solutions and approaches can be offered only once attainment targets (competence standards) have been clearly identified • Only those attainment targets (competence standards) that may be turned into observable behaviour can become the subject of strict assessment procedures (testing tasks/items) • Item- level testing may not be capable of/suitable for handling all of the complexity of LE competences • Self-assessment, introspection and other forms of assessment may well complement item-level testing • Certain aspects of LE (e.g. values) may not be (easily) assessable

6. Making the best use of assessment • Sampling may be the only feasible option if educational systems (not only individual learners) need to be evaluated • Introducing standards and assessment schemes should be both a top-down procedure (reflecting the needs of decision makers) and a bottom-up process (reflecting the needs of learners and teachers) • Standards and assessment schemes should be promoted as supporting tools as well as control measures • The envisaged LE framework document should serve as an awareness-raising and reflective tool, broadening the notion of evaluation and assessment beyond testing and levels (incl. self-assessment, introspection, peer-assessment, portfolio assessment, etc.)

7. Integrated approach • An ideal assessment system would reflect the full complexity of language as school subject (LS), and would motivate learners by giving useful feedback, while also providing other stake-holders (e.g. policy-makers, employers and teachers) with the information they need • An integrated approach to assessment would ensure that the different purposes and approaches are balanced so that no one priority has adverse and undue influence on the system as a whole (M. Fleming)