Language Testing and Assessment

I would prefer both holistic and analytic scoring. Holistic scoring best for large scale scoring where it is easier and faster than analytic scoring. According to Bacha, holistic scoring can be done by few examiners to ensure the validity of the assessment. For example we have 5 examiners assess the essay and gives their own score, after that take the average score of the score. This is the best way in using the holistic scoring. As for analytic scoring, focus on only one aspects in writing. Another analytic scale is to focus on few aspects while scoring. A clear guideline need to be set because analytic scoring will prone to holistic scoring easily. Thus, using both holistic and analytic scoring is the best way in assessing students writing essay.

This according to Nahla Bacha article regarding holistic and analytic scoring.

1. Oral Interview
Do one-to-one interview with the students to get a good idea of their listening and speaking skills.It can be done in class or outside the class. Identify the areas that you want to test on first before start the interview. They will not be penalize foe not knowing the content if the student can actually can perform in the specific area.


2. Class Presentation
Asks the students to present their finding in front of the class. Teacher must gives ample of time for the students to prepare and practice. thus, the grade will be given base on the content and the presentation.


3. Role Play
Role play can be use to assess students' speaking skills. Explore the students' imagination by giving them situation and asks them to come out with a play. This can help to enhance their speaking abilities in a fun way.


4. Cloze Exam
A type of assessment to test on students' understanding of grammar. To write a cloze exam, take one text that is familiar to the students. Then, replace every fifth or sixth word with a blank. Asks the students to fill in the blanks their own creativity. The students are given the credit as long as they can answer grammatically and logically correct.


5. Fill in the Blank
This may be same as cloze exam but fill in the blank activity can assess students more accurately on the grammar component for example tenses, modal, adverbs or adjectives. Teacher can supply words for the answer but be reminded that the words provided should be more than the amount of blanks given. This is to encourage the students to think rather than to match the answers with the questions.



6. Writing Sample
Teacher can assess students' grammar understanding through this activity. Writing not necessary be done in a long essay, a short one is enough to evaluate them depends on the area that teacher wants to focus on. Writing sample should be done in class where adequate amount of time is provided to the students for making sure that the work is done by the students and not other.



7. Portfolio
A portfolio is a collection of students' work samples that cover several aspects of the assignments that they have completed. This more fun to do and more easy to assess. Students may good in speaking but weak in writing thus using a portfolio, teacher can identify students' weaknesses. This can also be the proof of students' work.



8. Online Quiz
Using technology in teaching can attract the students' attention. Online quiz can be done at home where students can have the quiz in a more relax way. Besides that, teacher can also get immediate feedback or result of the quiz.


9. Multiple Choice Exam
Sometimes the classic are often the best when it comes to assessing your students. Using multiple choice question is easier to assess compared to subjective questions. But, this can also lead to many problems such as lucky guess made by the students can actually effect the results of the assessment.



10. True/False Quiz
This is also one of the classic way that teacher like to do. When using this type of test, avoid giving trick questions that focus on minor details. At the end of the test, have them correct their friends' work. This can help them to understand more on the answer rather than just lucky guesses.

There are many types of assessment that can be done in the classroom but these are the most common type of assessment that teacher always do.

I found that the idea that Nibley, Utah had said about assessing yourself in the class can really be helpful.
Teacher should try to listen from the students. Asks for their opinion and never be afraid of the result because that is the only way that can help the teachers to improved.

After the first or couple of month of teaching, teacher can evaluate himself or herself through three simple questions:
1. Three things that have helped me learned.
2. One thing the teacher could do to help me learn more.
3. One thing I could do to help me learn more.

But be reminded that it is better asks for answer shits with no name on it because this can help the students to be more sincere in answering the questions. They are afraid that the teacher might dislike or hate them for their bad comments thus making them to answer only the good thing.

Learning is a lifetime process thus teacher should let the students to assess them like how teacher assess the students.

reference:
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/ideas/010331_student_evaluation.htm

My blog is created to show ways in doing assessment to students especially in English Language.