ALTERNATIVE

ASSESSMENT

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Keyla Silva
Hernán Sarasty
 CONTENT

▰ Tests Vs Assessment ▰ Portfolios

▻ Definition,
▰ Definition and Characteristics
characteristics
▰ Traditional Vs Alternative ▻ Advantages, guidelines
▰ Why alternative assessment ▰ Observation
▰ Journal
▰ Summary and activities
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 QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS

▰ What are the differences ▰ What is the difference between

between test and traditional and alternative
assessment? assessment?

▰ What does alternative

assessment mean?
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 TESTS VS.
ASSESSMENT
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 TESTS

▰ Formal procedures
▰ Strict time limitations

A test is a “product” that

measures a particular
behavior or set of objectives.
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 ASSESSMENT

▰ Includes all occasions

▰ Both formal and informal
Assessment is seen as a procedure instead of
a product. Assessment is used during and
after the instruction has taken place.

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 THREE BASIC ASSESSMENT TYPES
▰ Selected response
▻ T/F, matching , multiple choice

▰ Constructed response
▻ Fill-in, short answer, performance assessments

▰ Personal response
▻ Conferences, portfolios , self/peer assessments 7/43
 ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

Definition:
Any method of finding out what a student knows or can
do that is intended to show growth and inform instruction
and is alternative to traditional forms of testing, namely,
multiple-choice tests.

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 ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT Used to mean
variants of
assessment that
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AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
users
require students to
generate rather than
PERFORMANCE BASED ASSESSMENT chooses a response.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF ALT. ASSESSMENT

▰ Require Ss to perform, create, produce

▰ Use real-world context or simulations
▰ Assess Ss on what they do in class every day
▰ Focus on processes as well as products
▰ Higher-level thinking & problem-solving skills
▰ Provide info. About Ss’ strengths and weaknesses
▰ Use human judgement in scoring 10/43
 TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVE
One-shot tests Continuous, longitudinal assessment

Indirect tests Direct assessment

Inauthentic tests Authentic assessment

Individual projects Group projects

No feedback provided to learners Feedback provided to learners

Speeded exams Untimed exams

Decontextualized test tasks Contextualized test tasks

Norm- referenced score interpretation Criterion-referenced score interpretation

Standardized tests Classroom-based tests 11

 TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVE
One shot , standardized exams Continuous long-term assessment

Timed, multiple- choice format Untimed, free-response format

Decontextualized test items Contextualized communicative

Scores suffice for feedback Individualized feedback/ washback

Norm-referenced scores Criterion-referenced scores

Focus on the “right” answer Opened-ended, creative answers

Summative Formative

Oriented to product Oriented to process

Non-interactive performance Interactive performance

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Foster extrinsic motivation Foster intrinsic motivation
 ADVANTAGES

▰ They provide a means of assessing valued skills that cannot be directly

assessed with traditional tests.
▰ They provide a more realistic setting for student performance than
traditional tests.
▰ They focus on student performance and the quality of work performed
by students.
▰ They can be easily aligned with established learning outcomes.
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 DISADVANTAGES

▰ Alternative assessments can be time consuming, costly, and

involve a far more elaborate process.

▰ These can also become disastrous and affect a child’s self

esteem.

▰ There is hardly any objective scope in alternative assessments 14/43

EVALUATION WITHOUT TESTS

▻ Portfolios
▻ Journals
▻ Conferences, interviews
▻ Observations
▻ Performance assessment
▻ Self and peer assessment
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 WHY ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT?

▰ Uncertain about tests scores

▻ What’s the real difference between scores of 59 and 61 (esp.
60=passing score
▻ Small or chance difference in test scores

▰ No such thing as a perfect test

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 WHY ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT?

▰ Multi-method assessment in order to account for multi-

culture, multi-intelligences of learners.

▰ It can assess learning processes in an ongoing manner.

▰ Many Ts become dissatisfied with the mismatch between

how they teach & how assessment is done.

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ACTIVITY TIME

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 PORTFOLIOS

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that

exhibits the student’s efforts, progress, and achievements in
one or more areas. The collection must include student
participation in selecting contents, the criteria for judging
merit, and evidence of student self-reflection” (Paulson,
Paulson & Meyer, 1991). 19/43
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 CHARACTERISTICS OF PORTFOLIOS

▰ Teacher and students can negotiate to decide what is included.

▰ The learner has some control over what is being assessed.

▰ Not necessary to include everything, depending on the purpose.

▰ To document development over time (e.g., drafts).

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 TYPICAL PORTFOLIO

▰ Introduction: portfolio contents, reflective essay

▰ Academic works
▰ Personal section, e.g. journals, photos
▰ Assessment section, e.g. journals, photos
▰ Assessment section: evaluation from peers, teachers.
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 GUIDELINES

▰ State objectives clearly.

▰ Give guidelines on what materials to include.
▰ Communicate assessment criteria to students.
▰ Designate time within the curriculum for portfolio
development.
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 GUIDELINES

▰ Establish periodic schedules for review and conferencing.

▰ Designate an accessible place to keep portfolio.
▰ Provide positive washback-giving final assessments.

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 ADVANTAGES

▰ Foster intrinsic motivation, responsibility & ownership

▰ Promote S-T interaction with T as facilitator
▰ Individualize learning & celebrate uniqueness of each student
▰ Provide tangible evidence of a S’s work

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 ADVANTAGES

▰ Facilitate critical thinking, self-assessment, & revision processes

▰ Opportunities for collaborative work w/ peers
▰ Assessment of multiple dimensions of language learning

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 GOOD ASSESSMENT METHOD?

Check against the characteristics of good assessment:

Validity
Reliability
Practicality
Authenticity
Washback
(Brown 259; Bailey 218) 29/43
▰ Purpose:
▻ For teachers to make inferences about instructional
or learning processes or strategies
▻ To explain failure to learn
▰ Systematic, planned procedure for real-time recording
of S verbal and nonverbal behavior

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 OBSERVATION

▰ Planning classroom observation:

▻ the objectives of the observation
▻ aspects of teaching/learning included in obs.
▻ keep elements of observation at one time limited
▻ number of Ss being observed at one time

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 OBSERVATION

▻ how many observations, one occasion or

repeatedly?
▻ how to record your observations
▻ Anecdotal records, checklists, rating scales
(Brown 268)
▻ how you will use the results
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 JOURNAL

▰ Definition:
▻ An account of one’s thoughts, feelings, reactions,
assessments, ideas, or progress toward goals.
▻ With little attention to structure, form or correctness.

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 JOURNAL

▰ Features:
▻ Self-reflection
▻ Writing practice; writing as a thinking process
▻ Individualization
▻ Communication with the teacher
▻ Most formative
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 JOURNAL

▰ Guidelines:
▻ Introduce Ss to the concept of journal writing.
▻ State the objectives of the journal
▻ Give guidelines of what kind of topics to include
▻ Provide optimal feedback in your responses
▻ Designate appropriate time frames & schedules for
review
▻ Provide formative, washback-giving final comments
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KAHOOT!!

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CHARADES!!
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STANDARDIZED
TESTS
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OBSERVATION

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ALTERNATIVE
ASSESSMENT
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JOURNAL

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PORTFOLIO

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TRADITIONAL
ASSESSMENT

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SUMMATIVE

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FORMATIVE

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THANKS!
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