Alternative Assessment

Alternative Assessment as Umbrella

as Accommodations to special needs
as Authenticity of tasks
portfolio
when product-focused (not really
alternative assess., just alt.
procedure) = traditional values
content coverage
Sorting and ranking
surveillance and accountability
externally directed performance
conferences
simulations of real-life situations
diaries
projects
Non-intrusive (Huerta-Macias)
observational checklists
journals
work samples
anecdotal records
as Educational equity
fairness
ethics
values individuality/diversity of learning processes
as Complementary assessment
multiple procedures
as Embedded assessment
integrated in teaching tasks
as Dynamic assessment
Social interaction
triggering learning
zone of prox. development (Vygotsky)
Scaffolding (Bruner)
Procedural &
Conceptual level
Assessment Culture
centrality of teaching/learning
active role by students
process more valued
outcomes as detailed, informative
learner competencies
Definitions of language knowledge
discrete point
integrative
communicative
growing of notion of lang. proficiency
performance
language+content area+context
Models (theoretical rationale) and assessment
Canale
Communicative competence (Knowledge)
grammatical competence
sociolinguistic knowledge
strategic competence
discourse competence (Canale, 1983)
Ability for use (Skill)
Instances of language use affecting
performance (Canale, 1983)
Psychological conditions
Environmental conditions
Bachman&Palmer ('90-'96)
topical knowledge, affective factors
FUNCTIONS
grammar
Text
Sociolinguistic
Metacognitive
Celce-Murcia et al. ('95)
Strategic
competence
mediating
sociocultural
actional
speech acts/
interpersonal exchanges
linguistic
Markee (2000)
interactional
competence
conversation struct.
non-verbal comm.
strategic compt.
meaning is created by
individuals (interacting)
context-bound aspects of
performance occurring in interaction
Alternative-MULTIPLISM
Brown's traditional v.s. alternative
Idea
Performance testing
Performance-based
assessment (McNamara)
non-linguistic components
comm. competence depends on
learners' and learning objectives
against discrete-point tests
consideration of performance
conditions for test-takers
knowledge
skills&abilities
contextual factors
processing factors
assessment of how lang. performance
responds to the naturally evolving situation
tasks performance
replicating real-life situations
sample of performance behavior
context defined
test-taker placed in target situation
! lang. samples as evidence
for ! lang. types/domains
multiple purposes of lang. assessment
improve learning
make decisions
place
predict
categorize
accept/reject
provide feedback
hold accountable
conduct research
multiple definitions of lang. knowledge
multiple procedures for measuring
multiple criteria for determining good lang. use
multiple ways of interpreting assessment results
proficiency attained through a structured
tests (the achievement part of them)
rating scales
hierarchical
functional descriptions
holistic scales
lang. knowledge in global
terms (summative purposes)
analytic scales
gives hierarchies of lang. knowledge in terms of specific
aspects (grammar, lexicon, fluency, pragmatics)