Goal 1.2 Assessment in Teaching

Summative Assessment is used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement, while at the same time keeping a record of how they are doing. This type of assessment is a major component of the grading process in most districts, schools, and courses. (Aka: The normal school grading system).  Formative Assessment is more focused on collecting detailed information of a student that can then be used to improve the students learning while it’s happening. In other words, it is to inform in-process teaching and learning modifications. This method can be used to help guide a student when he or she is having trouble with a language simply by noticing their problems and addressing them to the person. This can be used to motivate students while learning a language by asking the learners to decide which assignments and tasks they will be assessed during the course.

Continuous Assessment: Similar to summative assessment, continuous assessment assesses the learner at the end of the course. The only difference is that continuous assessment provides more accurate and complete information on the learner’s level and has a more positive impact on their learning.

Alternative Assessment is composed of the most innovative and progressive grading techniques. By using these in language teaching, we can keep track and reward students’ achievements in a friendly environment. It encourages more than anything a constructive relation with learning and grading.

Formal Assessment implies a direct method of evaluating the students through assessing  their skills in various areas by using tests. While the methods in formal assessment can be viewed as a trigger for stress and pressure, it also gives feedback to the students on how well they are doing in certain areas or which ones they need to invest more time in(assuming the results of the test are broken down to them). Informal Assessment suggests a more passive way of evaluating the students’ competency by continuously assessing their skills through the duration of the course with mere observation. By using this method the teacher can covertly implement practices on what the students are lacking in and focus less on what the teacher feels like the students have a firm understanding of.

Testing is implicit in formal assessment; the former uses tests so the students can physically view their progress, strengths and shortcomings.  For some students the use of formal tests can be stressful and negatively affect them once they have to do the test or it can become a sort of motivation to help the students perform better. Tests may not be the best way to have the students learn but an effective way to allow the students to view their progress.

Peer Assessment will have the students give feedback to each other on their work, sometimes even assigning an actual grade. Moreover, it makes the students pay more attention to the grading aspects and quality of their own work. In language teaching, this can be included as part of the overall communicative process they practice.

Self-assessment: Alludes to a way in which the assessment process can be hastened by inquiring about the students’ proficiency directly, through the use of questionnaires, self-reports and teacher inquiry. This can be useful when you get a new group of students, when you have to substitute for someone or you expect a certain level and don’t see that reflected in the students.