TESTING, ASSESSING and

TEACHING
 Definition of a test

A test is a method
of measuring a
What is persons ability,
knowledge, or
a test? performance in a
given domain.
 Components of a test

method

measure

Individuals ability, knowledge, performance

Measures given domain

 A test is a method.
It is an instrument a set of techniques,
procedures, or items that requires
performance on the part of the test-taker.

multiple-choice questions with prescribed

correct answers; a writing prompt with ;t
scoring rubric; an oral interview based on a
question script and a checklist of expected
responses
 A test must measure.

Some tests measure

general ability, while The way the results or
others focus on very measurements are
specific competencies or communicated may vary.
objectives.
A test measures an individual's ability,
knowledge, or performance.
A test measures performance

the results imply the test-taker's

ability

to use a concept common in the field

of linguistics, competence. (example)

Most language tests measure one's

ability to perform language.
 A test measures a given domain.
In the case of a proficiency test, even though
the actual performance on the test involves
only a sampling of skills, that domain is overall
proficiency in a language-general competence
in all skills of a language.
 Assessment and Teaching

Tests are prepared Assessment, on the

administrative other hand, is an
procedures that occur ongoing process that
at identifiable times in a encompasses a much
curriculum. wider domain.
 A good teacher never ceases to assess
students, whether those assessments are
incidental or intended.
Students must have the freedom to
experiment, to try out their own hypotheses
about language without feeling that their
overall competence is being judged.
Informal Assessment

incidental

unplanned
comments and
responses

impromptu
feedback
 Informal assessments are not data driven but
rather content and performance driven.
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 Formal assessment
Formal assessments are systematic, planned
sampling techniques constructed to give teacher
and student an appraisal of student achievement.

It should be used to assess overall achievement,

to compare a student's performance with others
at their age or grade, or to identify comparable
strengths and weaknesses with peers.
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 Formative assessment
Most of our classroom assessment is
formative assessment: evaluating students in
the process of "forming" their competencies
and skills with the goal of helping them to
continue that growth process.
 Summative assessment
Summative assessment aims to measure, or
summarize, what a student has grasped, and
typically occurs at the end of a course or unit
of instruction.
 Norm-referenced test
Each test-taker's score is interpreted in
relation to a mean (average score), median
(middle score), standard t deviation (extent of
variance in scores),and/or percentile rank.
(Brown, 2004: 7)
 James Dean Brown (1996: 2)
A norm-referenced test (NRT) is designed to
measure global language abilities (for
instance, overall English language proficiency,
academic listening ability, reading
comprehension, and so on).
 Criterion-referenced test
Criterion-referenced tests, on the other hand,
are designed to give test-takers feedback
usually in the form of grades, on specific
course or lesson objectives. (Brown, 2004: 7)
 James Dean Brown (1996: 2)
In contrast, a criterion-referenced test (CRT) is
usually produced to measure well-defined and
fairly specific objectives. Often these
objectives are specific to a particular course,
program, school district, or state.
APPROACHES
TO LANGUAGE
TESTING:
A BRIEF HISTORY
Discrete-Point
Discrete-pointtests are constructed on
the assumption that language can be
broken down into its component parts
and that those parts can be tested
successfully. Discrete point tests aim to
achieve a high reliability factor by testing
a large number of discrete items, but
each question tests only one linguistic
point.
Discrete-Point
Strength

The test of this approach can cover a wide

range of scope of materials to be put in the
tests.
The test allows quantification on the students
responses.
In the term of scoring, the test is also reliable
because of its objectivity; the scoring is
efficient, even it can be perform by machine
Discrete-Point
Weaknesses

Constructing discrete point test items is

potentially energy and time consuming.
The test do not include social context where
verbal communication normally take place.
Success in doing the test is not readily
inferable to the ability of the test taker to
communicate in real life circumstances.
Integrative Testing
The integrative-point approach appeared
as an unsatisfying reaction of the discrete-
point followers. Oller (1979) argued that
language competence is a unified set of
interacting abilities that cannot be tested
separately
Integrative Testing
Strength
The approach to meaning and the total
communicative effect of discourse will be
very useful for pupils in testing
This approach can view pupils
proficiency with a global view.
The strength of the test such as dictation,
writing, and cloze test is that relatively
cheap and easy to make
Integrative Testing
Weaknesses
Even if measuring integrated skills are
better but sometimes teacher should
consider the importance of measuring
skills based on particular need, such as
writing only, speaking only
The scoring is not efficient and not reliable
Communicative language
testing
Communicative language testing is
intended to provide testers with info
about the testees ability to perform in the
target language in certain context-
specific tasks.
Communicative language
testing
Strength
The tests are more realistic to evaluate the
students language use, as the students in
a role as though they were to
communicate in the real world / daily
lives.
It increases students motivation since
they can see the use of language they
learnt in class in the real world.
Communicative language
testing
Weaknesses
Not efficient (time and energy
consuming)
Problem of extrapolation (Weir, 1990) (we
cannot guarantee that the students who
successfully accomplish the task in class
will also be successful in the
communication in real life)
Performace-Based test
A performance test is a test in which the
ability of candidates to perform particular
tasks, usually associated with job or study
requirements, is assessed (Davies et al., 1999,
p. 144). In the assessment of second
languages, tasks are designed to measure
learners productive language skills through
performances which allow candidates to
demonstrate the kinds of language skills that
may be required in a real world context.
Performace-Based test
Strengths

Increasing learning motivation (The students tend to be more

motivated and involved when they are allowed to perform
according to their own plan, collect data, infer a pattern, draw
conclusions, take stand, or deliver a presentation.)
Meaningful (it is meaningful assessment since we require students to
show what they can do through project, performance, or
observation. It will give them learning experience more than just
paper and pencil test)
Authentic (since the materials and topics we use in class is
authentic, the students can see the relation of what they learn with
the reality in their daily lives)
Chalange high order thinking of students (In order to prepare for
the best performance, the students will try their best to analyze the
problem deeper and find many learning sources by themselves )
Performace-Based test
Weaknesses

Time consuming (for students: they need to prepare the

performance e.g. Download information for the Internet or
preparing the costume and property for role play, for teacher:
Teachers need to provide guidance in every stage they are going
to be through. For example, in assessing the students to make
portofolio of essay, we need to check every single paper of the
students one by one every week, and when it has been revised, we
have to check it again.
Expensive (Students: the students should provide extra money to
prepare the performance such as costumes for role play)
Challage the teacher to match performance assessment to
classroom goals and learning objectives.
 Communicative Assessment experts
language testing

Challenge

Performance-based
assessment Classroom teachers

New
theories of
intelligence
The increasing Effective
The advent of popularity of
alternative computer based Assessment
assessment testing

MOVING TRENDS AND MOVING

VIEWS
 Logical-
Old View Linguistic
Mathematic
Logical-
Linguistic Spatial Musical
Gardner Mathematic
(1983, 1999) Bodily-
Interpersonal Intrapersonal
kinesthetic

Sternberg
Creative Manipulative
(1988, 1997) thinking Strategy

Goleman EQ (Emotional
(1995) Quotient)

1 NEW VIEWS ON INTELLIGENCE

 This..??
Assess what??
These..??

Whole
Objectivity language skills Authenticity

Learning Ability to
processes negotiate
meaning

Those..??
TREND OF ASSESSMENT
 Triggered

Performance- The traditional, The alternative,

based more-objective more authentic
assessment assessment assessment

Moved the
trend

2 TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE

ASSESSMENT
Armstrong (1994) and Bailey (1998) drew the
clear distinction between traditional and
alternative assessment in the table below:
Traditional Assessment Alternative Assessment
One-shot, standardized exams Continuous long term assessment
Timed, multiple-choice format Untimed, free-response format
Decontextualized test items Contextualized communicative tasks
Scores suffice for feedback Individualized feedback and washback
Norm-referenced scores Criterion-referenced scores
Focus on the right answer Open-ended, creative answers
summative formative
Oriented to product Oriented to process
Non-interactive performance Interactive performance
Foster extrinsic motivation Foster intrinsic motivation
 Notes to Armstrong and Baileys
categorization
It is difficult to draw a clear line of distinction
between traditional and alternative
assessment.

It is not always true that traditional

assessment is worse than alternative
assessment.
Some
famous TOEFL
CBTs
TOEIC
Large scale,
IELTS standardized
Small scale, test
home
grown test

3 COMPUTER BASED TESTING

 Computer based test requires
test takers perform responses on
a computer.

Test takers receive

prompts

The prompt can be in spoken

or written
Test takers are required
to response
They can write or
speak the
response

Almost all responses and

items are fixed and close
ended
In a CAT, each test taker receives a set of questions that
meet the test specifications and that are generally
appropriate for his or her performance level.

CAT starts from the computer scores the

test takers answer
moderate level responses and determine
questions the question the next questions

Correct Incorrect

More difficult Lesser or equal

questions difficult questions

Computer Adaptive Test

 Some advantages of CBT
Classroom-testing
Self-directed testing on various aspects of
language (vocabs, grammar, discourse, language
skills, etc.)
Practice for upcoming high stakes standardized
test
Some individualization, in the case of CATs
Large scale standardized test can be administered
easily to thousand of test takers at many different
stations, then scored electronically for rapid
reporting of results
 Some disadvantages of CBT
Lack of security and the possibility of cheating are inherent
in classroom-based, unsupervised computerized test
Occasional home-grown quizzes that appear on unofficial
websites may be mistaken for validated assessment
The multiple-choice format preferred for most computer-
based test contains the usual potential for flawed item
design
Open ended responses are less likely to appear because of
the need for human scorers, with all the attendant issues of
cost, reliability and turn around time
The human interactive element (especially in oral
production) is absent
 Lessons from this chapter
Assessment is an integral part of the teaching-
learning cycle.
Tests are a subset of assessment and may
provide authenticity, motivation, and
feedback to the learner.
Tests are essential components of a successful
curriculum and one of several partners in the
learning process.
 Cont: Lessons from this chapter
Periodic assessments, both formal and informal, can
increase motivation by serving as milestones of student
progress.
Appropriate assessments aid in the reinforcement and
retention of information.
Assessments can confirm areas of strength and pinpoint
areas needing further work.
Assessments can provide a sense of periodic closure to
modules within a curriculum.
Assessments can promote student autonomy by
encouraging students' self-evaluation of their progress.
Assessments can spur learners to set goals for themselves.
Assessments can aid in evaluating teaching effectiveness.