AP - Unit 6: Assessment methods

ITTT ELT Academic Planning Course

ITTT AP6

Unit 6 Assessment methods

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Unit 6 Assessment methods Introduction In this unit we will consider the types of test available and how and why they are used. Next we consider how test results can be interpreted, looking at the how and why of two major strategies. In conclusion to the unit, we look at a way of organizing learning by considering Bloom's Taxonomy.

Types of test As teachers, there are obviously many reasons for us to test our students: 1. Perhaps first and foremost it will allow us to make some informed evaluative decisions about the efficiency of our program.

2. Secondly, it will give students an opportunity to monitor their own progress.

3. Very often it is a requirement of the school or language training centre.

So what types of test are there and when should you give them?

These are six examples of different types of test: n

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Diagnostic tests are designed to assess students’ knowledge and skills in specific areas that have accrued due to past learning experiences. These tests would therefore take place before a course begins.

Placement tests enable the teacher to group students by their current ability range in a variety of areas rather than anything specific. These tests are often multiple-choice in format, which makes their marking easier particularly if an optical mark reader (OMR) machine is available.

Aptitude tests are designed to predict students’ probable future performance on a course. They attempt to assess if the student will be able to use language in a particular setting.

Achievement tests assess the students’ learning of a body of knowledge, e.g. a syllabus. They are usually constructed to give maximum discrimination between students so that individual progress can be monitored.

Proficiency tests are intended to assess the students’ current knowledge and reference this forward to some future task. For example, will this student be able to study medicine in the medium of the English language at a UK university?

Progress tests are designed to assess students’ progress in specific areas of learning taught in a class. They tend to be less formal than external achievement tests and are very often 'created' by the teacher themselves. They can inform the teacher about the efficiency of their program and help towards student motivation by informing the students of ‘what they don’t know’.

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT AP6 Copyright © 2021 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 6 Assessment methods

External tests can be summarized in the following way:

Terms, tests and results

Use a search engine such as Google, give definitions of the following terms within an education context.

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a) Cohort b) Criteria referencing c) Norm referencing d) Ranking e) Rubric

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 6 Assessment methods

Norm and Criteria referencing The main features, and therefore differences, between these two referencing methods, can be seen below.

Criterion-referenced assessments

Norm-referenced assessment

Focus on mastery with the achievement of a criterion representing a minimum to optimum standard.

Do not use criteria statements.

Use a rating scale or set of scoring rubrics.

Make assessment comparative for a particular cohort.

Specify criteria or standards (e.g. essential elements of a task).

Make assessment of an individual's achievement by ranking.

Example: Any assessment using 'Can do' skill competency statements.

Example: External examinations.

Before embarking on the design of any academic program of study, we must be clear, on how we are going to assess the students on the course. Will this involve testing using either criteria or norm referencing, or both?

Read the following excellent article:

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www.coursecrafters.com/what-teachers-need-to-know-andbe-able-to-do-about-norm-referenced-tests/

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Now write your own conclusion to the article.

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT AP6 Copyright © 2021 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 6 Assessment methods

Bloom's Taxonomy The original work of Bloom outlined learning in three areas, or domains which were called the 1) Cognitive 2) Affective and 3) Psychomotor.

Here we will concentrate on the Cognitive domain (related to thinking).

The diagram below represents the various 'levels' of thinking from the most fundamental to the most advanced. The diagram shows the taxonomy adapted from Bloom's original by Anderson and Krathwol (2001).

The taxonomy is useful to teachers as it allows us to think about 'what' we ask our students to do (actions) in the classroom in order to develop learning to the highest levels of thinking.

Credit: https://educationaltechnology.net/blooms-taxonomy/

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT AP6 Copyright © 2021 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 6 Assessment methods

Taking each of the levels of thinking in the diagram on the previous page, we can now give a couple of examples of what the students could be doing when at those levels, during activities we give them in the classroom. n

Remembering n Recognizing information they have seen before n Recalling a word or a fact

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Understanding n Classifying parts of speech n Interpreting sentences

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Apply n Using rules about sentence structure n Implementing rules to see grammar errors

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Analyze n Organizing n Differentiating

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Evaluate n Checking n Critiquing

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Create n Producing n Planning ·

We would rarely cover all these thinking skills in any one lesson, but we should when thinking about our activities try to bring as many into the lesson and series of lessons, as possible. Also keep in mind that these levels relate to thinking skills and should not be confused with student English language levels. Beginner English Language learners can operate at the higher thinking levels.

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Read the following article:

Kelly, Melissa "Bloom's Taxonomy in the Classroom" ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2021, thoughtco.com/blooms-taxonomy-in-the-classroom-8450

St re o se p a

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www.thoughtco.com/blooms-taxonomy-in-the-classroom-8450

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT AP6 Copyright © 2021 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 6 Assessment methods Task sheet Check your knowledge before attempting the unit test.

Please note that this task sheet is solely for checking that you have understood the course unit content. You do not need to submit this task sheet – just use it to check you have understood the major points.

Task 1 – Briefly describe three different tests styles and for each give an example setting where it would be particularly suitable as an assessment method.

Task 2 – Describe an ESA Activate stage activity that makes use of Bloom's taxonomy.

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Unit 6 Assessment methods

Task 3 – Explain what each of the acronyms below relate to. Use about 50 to 100 words for each.

ALTE

CEFR

IELTS

TOEIC

TOEFL

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