Alternative Assessment

Alternative Assessment

There are various ways a teacher uses to assess her students' capability about a certain material of teaching. Alternative assessment is a way to directly evaluate learners’ language skills. A paper‐pencil test shows knowledge about the language. Alternative assessment shows learners’ ability to use the language.

There are many reasons for using alternative assessment techniques. With alternative assessment:

• Learners make real use of the target language—in this case English‐‐for an actual purpose.
• Learners demonstrate the things that they have learned in class.
• Learners take responsibility for and self‐direct some of their own learning.
• Learners’ motivation to learn and use the target language may increase.
• And, alternative assessment provides students with an opportunity to directly display their progress to others in their school and community, and to family members.

In this posting, I would like to mention four different kinds of alternative assessment:

1. Self‐record keeping.
2. Peer feedback and assessment.
3. Portfolio.
4. Performance assessment.

Some other common forms of alternative assessment are:

• Observations.
• Conferencing, and
• Dialogue or learning journals.

Let's talk about some examples of alternative assessment further;


Self‐record Keeping

One form of alternative assessment is to have students keep track of their own work. For example, students can track progress on charts similar to these. Students mark the chart when they have finished their work and turned in an assignment.

Guidelines for student work can also be posted on the wall. Such guidelines set clear expectations for assignments and for the tracking process.

Peer Feedback and Assessment

Learners can also correct each other’s work. They can read each other’s writing assignments and listen to each other's oral assignments. They can give feedback on content, on work that is in‐process, and on the end product. A more proficient student can help correct the work of a student with less proficiency. Older students can help correct the work of younger students.

For peer feedback to be effective, the teacher must give clear guidelines to the students. They must know exactly what they are looking for and how to give feedback on it. Look for…

• The teacher’s instructions and expectations.
• The types of materials students are using.
• The atmosphere in the classroom.
• And, the ways in which students work together.

Also ask yourself, “What is the “job” (or role) of the teacher in this activity? And, what is each student’s job?”

Portfolios

A portfolio is a collection of student work. Portfolios can be an effective way for students to bring some or all of their work together in one place. The students themselves are responsible for putting items in their portfolios.

With portfolios, students, teachers, and parents can see students’ work and progress. Portfolios can be used for classes of any size, age, or language level.

Portfolios can stay in simple bins or boxes. Or, as in this high school classroom, students can use large notebooks or binders to keep all their work in one place. The binders can stay in the classroom, or students can take them home. Students know to have their binders with them at the beginning of every class.

Most of the students’ written work stays in the binders. By the end of the term, the binders are complete portfolio collections of the students’ work for that period of time.

With portfolios, students can see their own progress. Teachers can use them to give formative feedback and assign summative grades. And, parents and school officials can access them to see evidence of students’ progress. For portfolios to be effective, it is important that students know the criteria or guidelines for creating and maintaining a good portfolio. Models can be helpful. See the manual for examples of portfolio management resources.

Performance Assessment

With performance assessment, the teacher assigns the task (often one that involves the use of multiple language skills). At the same time, the teacher gives the criteria for a good performance. When students perform, the teacher and other students evaluate and, then afterwards, give constructive feedback on strengths and on areas that need improvement. As you watch the following two performances, decide what criteria you and/or your students might use to evaluate the work. Also ask yourself…

• What is the “job” (or the role) of the teacher in this activity?
• What responsibilities do the performers have?
• And, what responsibilities do students in the audience have?

Some criteria for evaluation might include...

• How well the students prepared for the task or performance.
• Feedback on specific language skills (for example, pronunciation, fluency, writing of the notes or script, and so on).
• How well the performers delivered the report or play in terms of clarity, loudness, speed, eye contact, body language, and opening and closing statements.

Summary

There are four kinds of alternative assessment…

1. Self‐record keeping.
2. Peer feedback and assessment.
3. Portfolios.
4. And, performance assessment.

to get a checklist for doing this step, click the following link: alternative assessment.

It takes practice to learn to do alternative assessment effectively. However, success can lead to more actual student use of the target language, more motivated students taking more responsibility for their own learning, and the ability to show others direct evidence of student progress.

This information is taken from “Shaping the Way We Teach English”, module 10.