3-Describe an assessment
tool that you and your students feel comfortable with. Explain why?
Assessment tools are diverse and
multiple. Tests, quizzes, observation, self-assessment, peer-assessment and
interviews are prominent tools or methods of assessment. For me, I prefer to
utilize most of them. On other words, to assess my students' language
achievement, I try to integrate most, if not all, methods of students' language
performance assessment. We all ,as teachers, know that assessing students'
language achievement is very complicated. So, there is no one tool or method to
be considered as perfect. If I just rely on tests to measure my students'
language proficiency, I will not obtain the clear vision for the students'
language achievement. I won't depend only on tests because they do not give an
accurate picture of an individual's proficiency.
Measuring students' proficiency
by tests alone is also not fair for students. For instance, some students can
converse well and participate in the class actively. But when it comes to
tests, they get confused because of many variants such as test instructions, fear of being tested, or
having fatigue…etc.
By the end, they don't do well on the
exams. We, as teachers, should integrate or complement tests with other kinds
of formative assessment.
Utilizing our direct and indirect observation is very important in
assessing our student's achievement. Students, who are considered high
achievers and get low marks on a certain test, their marks should be raised and
that based on our observation of their excellent performance and active
participation during classes.
Interviewing students is also essential
for assessing students' language proficiency. Especially to assess the students'
language performance. While I interview my students, I discover their speaking
ability and what are their speaking weakness.
Giving students quizzes and dictation
activities are also essential and very beneficial for assessing students'
ability of language use.
From my experience in teaching, I find out that students are very
comfortable when they have interviews, quizzes and dictation activities along
with tests. And such methods give me a full picture of my students' language
abilities.
To conclude my answer for this question, I
strongly believe that integrating a range
of different assessment procedures are necessary in language learning
assessment.
