Video: Collecting meaningful data for assessment
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Below you find the key elements of the video:
Earlier we talked about how to do a needs analysis and establish learning objectives. Now let us look together at how to collect useful data for assessment and establish criteria for evaluating students. First, however, let us recall a few things about the teacher's role in task-based assessment.
- Teachers do not correct students' errors during the task;
- Teachers take notes on students' errors during the task;
- Teachers give feedback of their assessment to students during the post-task
How can we collect useful data for evaluation?
Students are not only assessed positively if they are accurate (i.e. if they use grammar rules well), but also if they manage to complete the task (e.g. if they created a catalogue of films to watch or if the class enjoyed their presentation).
As we have already mentioned, task-based assessment must be as close to real life as possible. For this reason, production tasks such as case studies, role-plays, project work and simulations are very common activities for evaluation.
Simulations and project work are based on problems that have an open-ended answer. Students have to use their creativity. Therefore, simulations and project work are suitable for advanced students.
In contrast, case studies are based on problems that have a closed answer (the outcome of the task is 'solved or not solved'), so they are more suitable for beginner students.
Other methods include assessment rubrics, diaries and portfolios.
Evaluation rubrics are grids that allow teachers to observe an aspect of the class during a lesson or series of lessons. Some are very complex and also allow observation of interactions between students. They are very useful for collecting data, and for improving teaching and learning.
The diaries that students write are excellent for assessing students' writing skills and for evaluating their improvement during a course.
Finally, there are portfolios, which are a collection of students' personal work that can be updated as language learning continues. Portfolios are an effective way to motivate students, as they give them a fun way to review the language and help them reflect on their course of study. Portfolios are a useful tool to help students self-assess their written production and identify their weaknesses and strengths, organise and collect their learning experiences and monitor their improvements.
What criteria do we use to assess the outcome of a task?
- Try to think of the real world (and language) when students do a task and present a final product;
- Assess linguistic and paralinguistic elements (accuracy, fluency, gestures, non-verbal communication traits), content and other features (such as imagery and effectiveness).
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