Critically analyze traditional ways

of assessment vs alternative forms

of assessment

UNIT 4 (Part 1 and 2)

E.L.O

 Define the terms traditional assessment, alternative

assessment and performance based assessment;
 Discuss the similarities and differences between traditional
assessment, alternative assessment and performance based
assessment;
 Explain how planning and delivery of the methods of traditional
assessment, alternative assessment and performance based
assessment are done and implemented.
Assessment approaches
 “It appears that assessment is an example of a
subject where there are two camps; one full of
well-meaning, earnest teachers and researchers
immersed in the language and culture of
assessment practice (validity, generalisability
psychometrics are examples of the words they
commonly use); the others full of well-meaning,
earnest teachers facing the day to day
practical problems in running assessment in
full awareness of what should be done, but only
too aware of what can be achieved in their
circumstances.”
 Assessment & teaching go hand in hand and cannot
be separated from each other.
 Teaching and assessment methods used throughout
the ages are still used today.
 Development of technology and the global village
has forced us to critically investigate whether
we can continue or must we adapt, change and or
link different assessment approaches.
 Assessment is one of the major challenges
teachers have to deal with, and sometimes
struggle with.
§ Approaches
In the past, learners were seen as empty vessels
and teachers must fill them with knowledge.
Pour knowledge in and test learners on the
content

Inquiry-based learning has changed the way

learners learn.

Traditional assessment still dominates the

way teachers assess
Some traditional assessments that
teachers have used to assess
inquiry projects include the
following:
objective tests
fill-in the blank space
multiple choice questions
standardized testing
no assessment at all (important goals too
difficult to measure)
Current movement
§ Demands shift from traditional to alternative
assessment practices.
§ It must involve reconceptualisation of how
learning occurs.
§ Constructivist becomes more prevalent and
therefore alternative assessment.
§ Constructivist supports alternative assessment.
§ Different approaches can be categorised under
traditional assessment or alternative
assessment
§ Performance-based and authentic assessments
fall under alternative assessment
Three main assessment approaches

1. Traditional Assessment

2. Alternative Assessment

a) Authentic Assessment

b) Performance-based Assessment
1. Traditional assessment
 Simple theory: By asking people questions, we
can find out what they know.
 Not really a theory – more a strategy
 Traditional tests are given to learners by
teachers
to measure how much the learners have learnt
Ø This type of assessment is not the only way nor
the best way to evaluate learners, but the most
common way, for it provides valuable
information on learners’ learning
Traditional assessment (cont….)
 It has placed an emphasis on efficient tasks
(quick to administer and easy to score) and
tests that are perceived as demonstrating the
learners’ educational abilities
 These tests are taken with paper-and-pen
 They mostly are comprised of objective
questions
 It is easy to grade, but the tests only test
lower-level thinking skills
 Provides little evidence of what a learner can
actually do
Traditional assessment (cont….)
 Provides info on how learners learn and how
they progress
 When planning the assessment, it must be done
at the level and content of what was taught in
class
 Traditional assessment such as spelling relies
on directed tasks and efficient means to assess
discrete (isolated) knowledge
 Each type of assessment depends on the purpose
2. Alternative / Authentic
assessment

 Alternative/Authentic assessment combines the

traditional academic content with the knowledge
and skills needed to function appropriately in
the real world.

 The context, purpose, audience and focus should

connect to real-world problems and situations.
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 Defined as:
 “ Engaging in worthy problems and questions
of importance, in which learners must use
knowledge to fashion performances effectively
and creatively.
 The tasks are either replicas of or analogous
(similar) to the kinds of problems faced by
adult citizens and consumers or professionals
in the field.”
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 It is simply a form of assessment where the
learner is required to perform “real-life
tasks’

 That would demonstrate that s/he has grasped

the knowledge or developed the skill.

 It helps gauge the learners’ practical

application of theoretical learning to everyday
problems.
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 Alternative assessment is becoming increasingly
popular for it is deemed, a real need for more
holistic approaches to evaluating learners.

 Authentic assessment moves beyond learning by

rote and memorisation of traditional methods
and allows learners to construct responses.
Alternative / Authentic assessment
It captures aspects of the learners’
 Knowledge
 Deep understanding
 Problem-solving skills
 Social skills
 Attitudes
that are used in real-world or simulations or
real-world situations
Alternative / Authentic
assessment
 Authentic assessments set meaningful and
engaging tasks, in a rich context, where
learners apply skills and knowledge, and
perform tasks in new situations
 Authentic tasks help learners rehearse for
the complex situations of adult and
professional life
 It further focus on the learner’s strengths
– what they can do END
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 This allow teachers to choose an appropriate
assessment for learners with
 different learning styles
 Maturity levels
 Learning disabilities
 Physical disabilities
 Other characteristics that could affect
performance
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 Authentic/alternative assessment and performance-
based assessment are used interchangeably, but
there is a notable difference.
 Some see them as synonyms of each other, while
others argue that authentic assessment puts special
emphasis on the realistic (how realistic or
meaningful) value of the task and the content.
 The crucial difference is the
fidelity/dependability (realistic) of the task and
conditions under which it is done.
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 Authentic assessment focuses on high fidelity,
while this is not an important issue within
performance assessment.
 Every authentic assessment is performance-based,
but not every performance-based assessment is
authentic.
 Alternative assessment uses activities to reveal
what learners can do, emphasising their strengths
instead of their weaknesses.
 Because alternative assessment is performance-based,
it helps teachers emphasise that the point of
language learning is communication for meaningful
purposes.
Alternative / Authentic assessment
 Alternative assessment instruments are not only
designed and structured differently from
traditional tests, but are also graded and scored
differently.
 Alternative assessment methods work well in a
learner-centred classroom.
 They are based on the idea that learners can
evaluate their own learning and learn from the
evaluation process.
 These methods give learners opportunities to
reflect on both their linguistic development and
their learning processes.
 It gives teachers a way to connect assessment with
the review of learning strategies.
Performance-based
Assessment
UNIT 4 PART 2
DEFINITION

“ ..is a form of testing that requires learners

to perform a task rather than select from a ready
made list. For example a learner may be asked to
explain historical events, generate scientific
hypotheses, solving math problems, converse in a
foreign language or conduct research on an assigned
topic.’
 Differences

 Performance-based differs from traditional

assessment in that, in striving for mastery
of knowledge and skills, it also measures
these in the context of practical tasks.
 It also focuses on the process learners go
through while engaged in a task as well as
the end product, enabling them to solve
problems and make decisions throughout the
learning process.
Characteristics

 Performance-based assessment requires the

learner to perform in a realistic situation.
 They participate in specific tasks ,
interviews or performances that are
appropriate to the audience and the
setting.
 Includes: authentic / alternative
assessments and integrated performance
assessments
Characteristics

 Learners must use more complex, higher order

thinking skills.
 They must reason, problem-solve and collaborate
with others to produce individual responses.
 Rubrics must be provided ahead of time so that
learners know the expectations that will be used to
evaluate them on multiple competency levels.
 It stimulates the development of other important
dimensions of learning – affective, social and
cognitive domains
Affective aspects

 Performance-based education motivates learners to

participate in interesting and meaningful tasks.
 It helps learners develop a sense of pride in their
work, fostering confidence in the target language.
 Encouraging learners to experiment with their
increasing control of the language alleviates anxiety
over “making a mistake.”
 This further motivates them to invest in learning the
foreign language.
Social aspects

 The social aspect of learning is reflected

in the peer interaction required.
 Learners require helpful social skills for
life.
 Cooperative work leads to peer guidance and
other kinds of social interactions such as
negotiating, reaching a consensus,
respecting other’s opinions, individual
contributions to group effort and shared
responsibilities for task completion
Metacognitive aspects

 Metacognitive aspects of learning means

learners’ thinking about their own learning.

 Skills such as reflection and self-assessment

also contribute to the learning process.

 Enable learners to demonstrate specific skills

and competencies by performing or producing
something
Advantages

 Helps teachers to assess both what learners

can do and what they have achieved within a
specific teaching program.
 Besides focusing on the quality of the final
product of learners‘ work, it also rates
the learners’ learning process.
 Assessing both the process and product of
learners’ work provides an accurate profile
of the learners’ ability
Activities

 Design and construct a model

 Develop, conduct and report the results of a survey
 Perform a science experiment
 Write a mock letter to an editor of a newspaper
 Thus, performance assessment is a product- and
behaviour-based measurement based on settings
designed to emulate real-life context or conditions
in which specific knowledge or skills are applied.
 Wiggens (1992)
 Discuss the strengths of performance
assessment.
Traditional vs alternative
assessment
Traditional Assessment Alternative assessment
(TA) (AA)
Select a response Perform a task
Contrived Real-life
Recall/Recognition Construct / Application
Indirect evidence Direct evidence
Curriculum drives Assessment drives
assessment curriculum
One shot tests Continuous, longitudinal
test
Direct tests Indirect tests
Traditional Assessment Alternative assessment
(TA) (AA)
Inauthentic tests Authentic tests
Individual projects Group projects
No feedback provided to Feedback provided to
learners learners
Speeded exams Untimed exams
Decontextualized test Contextualized test task
task
Norm-referenced score Criterion-referenced score
interpretation interpretation
Standardized tests Classroom-based tests
Differences

 TA’s and AA’s are very different but

teachers do not have to choose between the
two assessment systems.

 The best form of assessment is to find a

balanced mix between traditional and
authentic/alternative assessment that meet
the learners’ needs best.-
Traditional assessment Alternative assessment

Assumes knowledge has a Assumes knowledge has

single consensual meaning multiple meanings
Believe learning is Treats learning as an
passive active process
Separates process from Emphasizes process and
product product
Focus on mastering little Focuses on inquiry
bits of information (higher level thinking
(associated with lower skills)
level thinking skills)
Traditional assessment Alternative assessment
Assumes the purpose of Assumes the purpose of
assessment is to test assessment is to
knowledge not learning facilitate learning
Believes all three domains Recognizes a connection
are separate between the 3 domains
Views assessment as Views assessment as
objective, value free and subjective and value laden
neutral
Embraces an autocratic Embraces a shared model of
model of power control power and control
Traditional assessment Alternative assessment

Embraces hierarchical Embraces a shared model

model of power and of power and control
control

Perceives learning as an Perceives learning as a

individual enterprise collaborative process

More teacher-centered More learner-centered

Attributes of traditional vs
performance-based assessment
Attributes Traditional Performance-based
assessment
Assessment Selecting a Performing a task
activity response
Nature of Contrived Activity emulates
activity activity real life
Cognitive level Knowledge/compreh Application/analy
ension sis/synthesis
Development of Teacher- Learner-centered
solution structured
Attributes of traditional vs
performance-based assessment
Attributes Traditional Performance-
assessment based
Objectivity of Easily achieved Difficult to
scoring achieve
Evidence of Indirect Direct evidence
mastery evidence
Advantages of Performance-based
assessment (PBA)
 Experts argue that it is more in line with instruction than
traditional assessment
 Some experts argue that teaching to the test is highly
unethical in preparation for TA, but teaching to the test
is actually encouraged when it comes to PBA
 It is viewed as ‘‘ having better possibilities to measure
complex skills and communication, which are important
competencies and disciplinary knowledge needed in today’s
society”.
 Critics maintain PBA can be highly subjective even through
designing good rubrics it stays very difficult.
Advantages Performance-based
assessment (PBA)
 More authentic tools such as portfolios,
independent projects, journals etc let learners
express their knowledge on the content in their own
way using various intelligences.

 Reeves (1996) believes the emphasis of PBA is the

ability of the learner to apply their knowledge and
skills to real-life situations.

 Five main points:

Advantages Performance-based
assessment (PBA)
Five main points of PBA:

q It is focused on complete learning

q Engages higher-order thinking and problem-
solving skills
q Stimulates a wide range of active responses
q Involves challenging tasks that require
multiple steps
q Requires significant commitment of learner’s
time and effort
Advantages Performance-based
assessment (PBA)
 They stimulate real life contexts
 Learners have opportunities to practice authentic
activities they might encounter in real life situations
 Helps them transfer their skills to various real
settings
 Collaborative work is encouraged
 Assist teachers to have a better understanding of
learners’ learning
 Teachers get better insight regarding learners’
knowledge and skills.
Planning TA and AA

 Steps:
 1. Plan: determine what to assess, how to assess,
and when to assess. Choose purpose and audience.
 2. Collect: Gather info through formal, informal,
traditional and authentic assessments.
 3. Organize: Organize the info collected through
various assessments to facilitate reporting.
 4. Evaluate: Evaluate the learner’s progress toward
reaching goals
 5. Report: Report info gathered to target audience
 Drawup an assessment plan for
the subject you will be teaching
using all five steps.
Considerations when planning
assessment
What to assess: Determine purpose, audience,
content and task.
How to assess: Determine the most effective tool.
When to assess: Determine if the assessment is
ongoing (formative) or an end-result (Summative)
How to organize information: Determine how to
gather and organize info to make it easily
assessable for reporting to right audiences.
How to report|: Determine format of reporting
data depending on type of audience
Criteria/Standards for assessment
planning
 1. Purpose and impact. How will assessment
be used and how will it impact on
instruction and selection for curriculum.
 2. Validity and fairness: Does it measure
what it intends to measure? Does it allow
learners to demonstrate both what they know
and are able to do?
 3. Reliability. Is the collected data
reliable across application within the
classroom, school and region?
Criteria for assessment planning

 4. Significance. Does it address content and

skills that are valued by and reflect current
thinking in the field?
 5. Efficiency. Is the method of assessment
consistent with the time available in the
classroom setting?

 Assessment divided in: Baseline assessment

(starting point of learner’s understanding),
formative assessment and summative assessment
Assessment formats

Format Nature/Purpose Stage

Baseline Oral and written responses based on Baseline
assessments individual experiences
Assess prior knowledge
Paper and pencil Multiple choice, short answer, essay, Formative
tests constructed response, written report
Assess learners acquisition of
knowledge and concepts
Embedded Assess an aspect of learner learning Formative
assessments in the context of the learning
experience
Assessment formats

Format Nature/Purpose Stage

Oral reports Require communication by the Formative
learner that demonstrates scientific
understanding
Interviews Assess individual and group Formative
performance before, during and after
an experience
Performan Require learners to create or take an Formative and
action related to a problem, issue or summative
ce tasks
concept
Checklists Monitor and record anecdotal Formative and
Assessment formats

Format Nature/Purpose Stage

Investigative Require learners to explore a Summative
projects problem or concern stated either by
the teacher or the learners
Extended or Require the application of Summative
unit projects knowledge and skills in open-ended
setting.
Portfolios Assist learners in the process of Formative and
developing and reflecting on a summative
purposeful collection of learner-
generated data
Traditional assessments

 Most frequent test tools:

q Multiple choice
q Fill in the blank
q Short answer
q True/false and opinion/fact
q Matching items
STEPS IN AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

1. Identify standards
2. Develop learning objectives
3. Identify target performance
4. Develop performance criteria
5. Create scoring rubric
6. Design instructional activities.
Conclusion

 Summarise the content within Traditional, Alternative

(authentic)and performance based assessment?

 From the three types of assessments studied, which one do you

think will be most appropriate to use in vocational training
institutions and why?

 Identify the five steps to be followed when planning for

Alternative or traditional Assessment.