Lesson 1. key concepts in language testing jose martin serna valdeolivar
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The document discusses the importance of understanding assessment as a process rather than just a test, highlighting that assessments often cause anxiety among students. It suggests that various forms of assessment, including self-assessment and peer assessment, can help students feel more comfortable and engaged with their learning progress. Ultimately, the focus should be on student growth and learning rather than merely pass or fail results.
![key features onTesting
What is assessment?
assessment, noun [U] the process of
making a judgement or forming an opinion,
after considering something or someone
carefully](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lesson1-150410135657-conversion-gate01/85/Lesson-1-key-concepts-in-language-testing-jose-martin-serna-valdeolivar-4-320.jpg)
Lesson 1. key concepts in language testing jose martin serna valdeolivar
- 1. key features onTesting Firstly we must recognize that assessments are not exactly a students’ favorite thing, in fact only to hear that name make the most of them to react negatively and/or even annoying.
- 2. key features onTesting It’s extremely important to understand that point. If we take some considerations, our students could achieve better results in their evaluations.
- 3. key features onTesting 3 Possible negative points about exams. 1. They don’t understand the real meaning and usefulness. 2. Previous experiences have not been very pleasant. 3. People normally feel afraid to fail, assessment is usually understood as a pass or fail thing.
- 4. key features onTesting What is assessment? assessment, noun [U] the process of making a judgement or forming an opinion, after considering something or someone carefully
- 5. key features onTesting Assessment must be considered as a PROCESS. Purpose: in most cases it should be “to let people and the same students know how much they have progressed. It shouldn’t be a way to intimidate and to confuse them. That’s why exams must be designed carefully.
- 6. key features onTesting Assessment must be more that only tests and exams. In order to really assess students progress, there are several types of assessment, ¡look at two of them!
- 7. key features onTesting Activity assessment a) Did you like that activity? b) Was that activity easy or difficult? c) What was the hardest part of that? d) Was the activity useful? How? Why? Self-assessment a) Now I can ... b) I still need to work on ... c) I've improved in ... d) Today I learnt ... e) In the test I got X and Y wrong. I'm going to study these for homework.
- 8. key features onTesting Assessment must be about the PROCESS of learning. • Students must think about their reality. what have they done? • Rather than only being about the product, it’s necessary to be about the real important matter: THE PROCESS OF LEARNING.
- 9. key features onTesting Then, should we eliminate Tests? Aren’t they a valid way to assess? Of course not, but we must find different ways to assess our students. Assessment shouldn't be about how good or bad someone is at a particular point in time, it should be about the progress they have made, the work they've put in and the learning that has taken place. We must analyze the process as well as the product
- 10. key features onTesting Then, When should assessment take place? As we said before, Assessment is about the LEARNING PROCESS. It means that it’s very important to know where they began and what they knew at the beginning of the course. So, it’s a good idea to start with a diagnostic assessment to ubicate where they are. This will be the reference for comparison at the end of the course.
- 11. key features onTesting Then, When should assessment take place? After that, assessment should take place fairly frequent. It’s recommended to do it throughout different ways, namely: • Homework, • Project work, • In class activities, • Formal tests.
- 12. key features onTesting Then, When should assessment take place? One important thing is to make assessment varied and flexible, these reduces pressure to students and help them be a little less worried, comfortable and confident. This also takes into account the possibility that students could have a bad day in the only available opportunity. Students might be sick or have a personal problem.
- 13. key features onTesting HELPING STUDENTS BECOME COMFORTABLE • Assessment CONNOTATION: as we know, assessment is usually equated with tests, passing, failing and scores , it makes students feel worried on the results. • Students CHANGE PERCEPTION: it’s necessary to make students notice that assessment is good for them, that will make the process easier. • Teacher MUST: in order to make this possible, one of teacher’s most important task is to help students feel comfortable and confident.
- 14. key features onTesting A FEW SIMPLE IDEAS Talk about assessment with your students. 1. What is assessment? 2. Why do we assess students? 3. How are we going to assess them? 4. What are the criteria used? Are these criteria clear?
- 15. key features onTesting A FEW SIMPLE IDEAS Get students involved in assessment. 1. Use self-assessment, i.e. 'Can do' statements. 2. Use peer assessment. 3. Get students to come up with assessment criteria / agree criteria with students. 4. Get students involved in picking or designing assessment tasks.
- 16. key features onTesting A FEW SIMPLE IDEAS Make assessment part of the teaching and learning process. 1. If you can build in a form of assessment regularly, maybe even every lesson, then your students will become used to it and therefore more comfortable. 2. Make sure you include the results of any assessment into your teaching. If students can see that you actually take notice of the assessment, and not simply the score, it will become more meaningful and positive for them
- 17. key features onTesting A FEW SIMPLE IDEAS If students understand that assessment is about the process and not simply about a product (i.e. a score), then they will start to have a more positive attitude towards it. ¡Try it, it will be worth!