SUMMARY #25

DEASTIKA BAYUNING SUDJASMARA

140247
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LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT II: PRACTICAL CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS

Students will think that a test is a monster that can kill them if the grade they get
is under their expectation. But, in the eyes of teacher and other educators, a test
can be something that motivated students to be better and to bring out the best
in students. Assessments which given by the teacher can be vary, but here it will
be focused on two classroom-related domain of assessments, teacher-designed
formal and informal assessment (taken from day-by-day interactions)

Assessing, testing, and teaching

The three things mentioned in the title have correlation. Assessing is analysing
students overall performance from overall teaching-learning activities by teacher.
Assessment is divided into two types; the first is informal and formal
assessments. Informal assessment is involved all unplanned and incidental
activities happened in the classroom without any intention from the teacher to
take any fixed judgement of students performance, formative-like so the
teacher only pay attention to the students process in developing their skill while
formal assessment is test-like, it includes exercises in order to measure
students performance, conducted systematically and most of the times it is like
summative evaluation and the main point is to get the result of students
performance which is observable. Below is the picture of formal and informal
assessment;

Recent development in classroom testing

1. New views on intelligence
At first, intelligence only viewed as the ability in linguistic and logicalmathematical problem solving, but now, opposed by Gardner (1983) the
IQ concept has changed into five other frames of mind, which are;
- Spatial intelligence (the ability to find your way around an
-

environment, to form mental images of reality

Musical intelligence(the ability to perceive and create pitch and

rhythmic patterns)
Bodily-kinaesthetic

prowess)
Interpersonal intelligence (the ability to understand others feeling,

and interact effectively with them)

Intrapersonal intelligence (the ability to understand oneself and to

intelligence

develop a sense of self-identity)

(fine

motor

movement,

athletic

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DEASTIKA BAYUNING SUDJASMARA

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Moreover, Steinberg (1988) added two more territory in intelligence,

which are recognizing peoples creative thinking and manipulate
strategies. These new concepts of intelligence bring us to freedom and
responsibility, meaning that we were exempted from timed, discretepoints, analytical test in measuring language also from the word
objectivity and impersonalness.
2. Performance-based testing
Keeping aside discrete-points in measuring the ability, performancebased testing offers some kind of school subject involving pen-ended
problem, hands-on project, students portfolio, experiments, labs, essay
writing, and group projects. Even though in conducting these tests will
put aside the practicality of the test but it is worthwhile having since it
increase the validity of the test.
3. Interactive language tests
The test is an extended version of previous test since the content is
about the process of interacting with others which is a realization of
performance-based

test.

This

test

includes

speaking,

requesting,

responding, interacting (a combination of listening, speaking, reading

and writing.)
4. Traditional and alternative assessment
The differences between traditional assessment

and

alternative

assessment are while traditional assessment offers more practicality,

alternative offers more validity. Traditional and alternative assessments

are like formal and informal assessment.

Principles for designing effective classroom tests
A test should be authentic and motivating both students and teacher in
developing skills and gaining knowledge, the question is how to make an
effective

classroom

test?

There

are

several

aspects

affecting

the

effectiveness of classroom test.

1. Strategies for test-takers
To make the students ready for the test, teacher should give them a
preparation before the test is conducted, for example by giving the
information what will the test about (the topic covers the test), do a
review, rehearse (with teacher and students), have an enough rest, and
do not forget to remind them to go to the class earlier so they do not
have to rush. While the test, remind them to read the whole test task to

SUMMARY #25
DEASTIKA BAYUNING SUDJASMARA

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make sure that they answer with a right answer and after the test give
them feedback towards the test and remind them to be better in the
next test.
2. Face validity
When students are looking at the test and they think that the test does
not represent what they are already taught in the classroom and the
format of the test does not match with what they have already known, it
means that the test has no face validity. Face validity of the test can be
categorized into several aspects; well-constructed, doable with allocated
time, the materials are clear enough for the students to be done, explicit
instruction, level of difficulty should be adjusted to the learners level.
3. Authenticity
Like what have been mentioned in previous aspect, that the test should
represent what has been done in the classroom activities. Do not
wander with the material of the test since the students might face some
difficulties if the materials do not represent what they have got in the
classroom.
4. Washback
Remember that a test functions as a motivating machine for the
students to know their ability and to know what they should do after the
test. Teachers job has not done until giving score to the students
performance but also giving feedback and encouraging them that they
are already do a good job and remind them to do better in the future so

they will feel confidence in facing the next tests.

Some practical steps to test construction
There are several steps in constructing a test, they are;
1. Test toward clear, unambiguous, objectives
Make the objectives of the test as clear as possible in order to make the
students understand and will not lead them to ambiguous interpretation
of the test.
2. From your objectives, draw up test specifications
Like TOEFL test, there are some sections in a whole test, the first is
listening and then grammar test and reading comprehension, and in
each section, teachers should clearly mention what the section covers.
3. Draft your test
In drafting your test, some points should be paid attention; face validity,
authentic language, and the context should present what has been
mention in the objectives and specification of the test.

SUMMARY #25
DEASTIKA BAYUNING SUDJASMARA

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4. Revise our test

After drafting, remember to do a revise to your test in order to check
whether the test is clear enough to be given to the student, remember,
do not bring the students into confusion when they are doing the test
because it will affect their performance.
5. Final-edit and type the test
When you feel ready to make the test, then type it in a good order and
after that try to answer the test that you have been written, again, to
make sure that the test has its face validity, practicality, and contextual.
6. Utilize your feedback after administering the test
After administering the test, always do a feedback to your test in order
to know the level of difficulty if the test encountered by the students by
looking at their affective reaction. Feedback also functions as a picture
of next text, what should be considered in the next test.
7. Work for washback
Always do feedback for your students toward the test, do a review of the

test so the students know how to do in the next unit.

Alternative assessment options
Beside traditional assessment, as mentioned before, there is an also
alternative assessment function to assess students performance during
classroom activities without paper-task based. There are several options in
alternative assessment; self- and peer-assessment, journals, conferences,
portfolios, and cooperative test construction.
1. Self- and per-assessment
The functions of self- and peer-assessment are based on the speed,
direct involvement of students, the encouragement of autonomy and
increased motivation of the student in the process of learning activity.
Some activities that can be implemented by self- and peer-assessments
are; oral production, listening comprehension, writing, and reading
comprehension.
2. Journals
Assessing journal of students is a simple way in knowing their progress
in learning language. Journal can be used for language learning logs,
grammar discussions, readings, knowing attitudes, and feeling about
oneself.
3. Conferences
Conferences

used

for

knowing

students

development

of

their

performances, it is a kind of formative assessment not a summative

SUMMARY #25
DEASTIKA BAYUNING SUDJASMARA

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assessment so there will not be any fixed judgement from the teacher
towards students performances.
4. Portfolios
Portfolios can be essays, compositions, poetry, book report, and etc. The
function is to let the student demonstrate their performance, effort, and
progress of their understanding and skills.
5. Cooperative test construction
It sounds silly when teacher discuss the construction of a test with
his/her students, but, it is okay to involve student in constructing the
test so they can learn how to construct a test and also it is good for
teachers too to know what are the materials that they already

understand.
Assessment and teaching: partners in the learning process
To remind teacher and students that the role of assessment is to help
teaching and learning process not become a backwash for the teaching
learning activity.