Unit 1 Reflection

 Unit 1 Reflection

Learning about the different types of assessments made us reflect on our previous educational experiences. We thought about the different assessment types that were used with us, which ones were more or less effective and which ones we liked (or thought were more appealing to us). Based on our opinions and experiences, we think the implementation of multiple assessments types can enhance student experience in language learning. These can also prove insightful on the observable and unobservable performance of the students. Various assessment strategies provide multiple input methods on the students’ progress. 

The different types of assessments are intertwined and should not be excluded from one another. Instead of using a certain type of assessment exclusively, they should be used in conjunction with one another. This ensures a more complete evaluation of the students’ progress and past assignments. This gives the students multiple views or opinions on their progress and not trust solely on one result, one person, or their own opinion on their progress. This can lead to confidence boosts that can lead to more motivation, more practice and more effort put into the language learning.

Relying on solely one type of assessment can prove counter-intuitive. Such is the case of relying solely on the results on an exam for the student evaluation. If one type of assessment or assignment is worth a substantial amount of the final grade, this can cause adverse effects in the students. Instead of the students being able to perform optimally, they are stressed out by the pressure of having to perform to a certain standard or else they will fail or believe they are not learning well. This can cause a demoralization and a drop in confidence which will lower motivation and decrease the enthusiasm for learning and in turn make them perform worse. The implementation of multiple assessment strategies can enhance; not only the teacher’s perception of the overall performance of the group, but also the individual progress of the students themselves.