19.01.2011
This summary was kindly contributed by one of our #ELTchat followers,@SueAnnan
Many thanks for organising all the ideas so neatly, Sue!
This was the subject of the 12GMT #ELTchat of 19th January 2011. 60 educators from around the world took part in the discussion and many others followed the chat.
One key issue was to differentiate between Assessment, Evaluation and Testing.
Assessment was seen as the more positive application in a classroom. It was noted that genuine assessment comes with real world application of the learned skill. Developing self-assessment was promoted as an important learner tool for students, although the point was made that not all sts see the benefits, and may feel that it is the job of the teacher to make assessments.
Some participants were supporters of such things as:
The attention turned to tests and we considered different types of test and their purposes:
Many felt that placement tests were limited in their efficacy by not including any testing of the productive skills of Speaking and Writing, although some teachers do adapt them to suit.
Other tests were judged, by some, to assess a very narrow range of outcomes.
Some teachers write their own tests which could benefit their students, if they are well-written, which is not a skill given to everyone. It was noted that tests produced by the professionals are seen as reliable and practicable, but must be used appropriately.
Another point raised was the reason for the test. Was it an expectation on the part of the student, parents, school administration, workplace or even the government? Part of the challenge faced by teachers is to increase awareness that tests are not the only means of evaluating performance and subject development.
Although many adult students can appreciate the benefit, the necessity to test should depend on the individual needs. It was felt that tests were often demotivational and could induce feelings of fear, stress and inadequacy in some students. It was questioned whether culture, learning background, study skill ability or family attitude could affect the outcome.
We all agreed that students enjoy seeing their own progress, but the question was:
How do we make tests stress-free?
Brain research suggests that testing helps retention and acquisition of information
It is important to remember that testing, however well done, constitutes only a small
part of the total course.
Some links offered are:
Books
Blog posts
By @SueAnnan