Assessment types and tasks
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This document discusses different types of assessment used to evaluate learner performance. Formal assessment includes tests and exams with numerical grades, while informal assessment observes learner skills through comments without grades. Self-assessment and peer assessment also allow learners to evaluate themselves and each other. Examples of assessment tasks that can be used formally or informally include gap fills, multiple choice questions, interviews, compositions and dictation. Tasks vary in what they measure, from communication skills to language accuracy, and in how easy they are to score objectively versus subjectively. Informal methods include observation, note-taking and self/peer evaluation sheets.
Assessment types and tasks
- 1. Assessment types and tasks
- 2. What are assessment types and tasks? Assessment means judging learners’ performance by collecting information about it. We assess learners for different reasons, using different kinds of tests to do so. Assessment tasks are the methods we use for assessing learners. We can assess learners formally and informally.
- 3. Formal assessment is when we assess learners through tests or exams and give their work a mark or a grade. Informal assessment is when we observe learners to see how well they are doing something and then give them comments on their perfomance.
- 4. Self-assessment When learners decide for themselves how good they think their progress or language use is. Peer assessment When learners give feedback on each other’s language, work, learning strategies, performance.
- 5. Examples of assessment tasks: • Gap-fill • Multiple-choice questions • True/False questions • Ordering • Correcting mistakes • Taking part in interviews, conversations or role- plays • Writing letters or compositions • Dictation
- 6. Differences between tasks: - Some tasks test communication skills (e.g. conversations, interviews, letters, reading leaflets for prices) while others test the accuracy of language use (e.g. gap-fill). - Some tasks test one thing (e.g. gap-fill, choosing between pairs of sounds) while others test many things together (e.g. a composition, a conversation)
- 7. • The answers to some kinds of tasks are easy to mark (e.g. multiple-choice, true/false, gap-fill and dictation tasks). These are called objective tests. • Marking some kinds of tasks involves judging many things together (e.g. compositions, stories, interviews, role- plays). The mark depends on our judgment. These are called subjective tests.
- 8. • Portfolio • It consists of a collection of learners’ work done over a course or a year which shows evidence of development of their language skills. Portfolios can be used for formal and informal assessment.
- 9. Informal assessment methods: • Observing learners’ spoken and written works and answers to comprehension tasks; • Keeping notes on the learners’ performance; • Asking learners to complete self- and peer assessment sheets.
- 10. Glossary • Cloze test A task-type in which learners read a text with missing words and try to work out what the missing words are. The missing words are removed regularly from the text, e.g. every seventh word. A cloze test is used for testing reading ability or general language use. It is different from a gap-fill activity, which can focus on practising or testing a specific language point. • Continuous assessment A type of testing which is different from a final examination. Some or all of the work that learners do during a course is considered by the teacher on a regular basis and contributes to the final grade given to learners. It may also include regular monitoring of classroom performance and contribution. • Open comprehension questions are a task-type in which learners read or listen to a text and answer questions (using their own words). • Sentence completion A task-type in which learners are given parts of a sentence, e.g. the beginning or the end, and are asked to complete the sentence, using specific target language, e.g. At the weekend, I love … ; In the evenings, I enjoy … .