ASSESSMENT

     Assessment 

    Assessment is an effort to obtain data/information from the learning process and results to find out how well the performance of the child, class, or study program is compared to certain learning objectives/criteria/achievements. After obtaining the results of the assessment, the assessment process is carried out. Assessment (grading) is the process of embedding attributes or dimensions or quantities (in the form of numbers/letters) to the results of the assessment by comparing them to a certain standard instrument. The results of the assessment in the form of attributes/dimensions/quantities are used as evaluation materials. Evaluation (evaluation) is the process of giving a status or decision or classification of an assessment and assessment result.

Effective language assessment provides chances for children to use their abilities to demonstrate what they can do at their appropriate level. It requires acknowledgment of the principles we have already discussed last month and also of the curriculum goals as well as children’s cognitive-developmental, emotional and psychological stages [as I have briefly discussed even before].

In order to suit young learners’ reality best, assessment should concentrate on the development of language use, in performance assessments so to ‘give the children opportunities to use the language for real purposes, and in real or realistic situations, and assess their attempts to do so successfully’ as explains McKay(2006:99).

Shin and Crandall (2014:257) describe ‘performance assessments as formative and integrative in nature; they may occur over an extended period of time and involve the use of several language skills’. These types of assessment can be adapted or transformed into daily classroom activities or have daily classes activities used to such purpose,  with the appropriate procedures in place. They should cater for the principles of validity, reliability and authenticity, not forgetting they need to be practical – doable within the situation and environment – and, as much as possible, have a positive washback effect. There is also the need to keep records of students’ performance results so to be able to analyse their progress, obviously.

The closer it gets to real life, to the experience children have in classroom, the easier it may be for them to relate to the assessment and to participate in it without being insecure. As children, full of energy, the use of authentic assessment can be done, having learners ‘become active participants in assessment activities that are designed to reveal what they can do instead of highlighting their weaknesses’ mentioned by Hart (1994:11). Relating this to YL characteristics already discussed in the past, this would come in agreement with first, providing tasks that commensurate to their stage of development; then be very similar to what they live in class, thus real and relevant for them; third, promote that feeling of success and security they need so much at this age.

Looking back at their characteristics, it can be said that young learners’ assessment should focus on social interaction, should have scaffolded support, should be interesting in content and relevant to the children’s lives, fun, and still quite concrete. This sort of assessment is also called alternative or assessment for learning according to Shin and Crandall (2014:257). In contrast, there is also assessment of learning which is about ‘grading and reporting’, ‘measuring learning after the fact and used for categorising students and reporting these judgments to others’ Earl (2013:31). The latter about the result or product, not necessarily on improvements to be made on teaching and learning.

Poehler (2008) recommends analyzing dynamic assessment as well, describing it as ‘in educational context, understanding learners’ abilities – and instruction – supporting learner development’, being all integrated. By wishing to improve learners abilities, overcoming difficulties and supporting their development, there is the need to have active collaboration of individuals simultaneously so to reveal the full range of their abilities and development – interaction. He says that ’the observation of individual’s independent performance reveals the result of past development’ and is insufficient for supporting ongoing development, Poehler (2008:1).

McKay(2006:100-105) suggests language use tasks for assessment as young learners are still in their concrete and meaningful phase, learning evidence is likely to be present in language tasks that bear the characteristics of the ones they do in the lessons, which are their real world. ‘Language use tasks therefore give teachers opportunities in the classroom to assess children’s ability to use the language’, McKay(2006:105). These tasks are not discrete point tests, or items in isolation, they are tasks that can actually even involve a certain degree of spontaneity and creativity in using the language.

Tasks can be selected to suit young learners’ characteristics, their most relevant  abilities, to give them chances to demonstrate their performance. Reliability and validity must be present, and one way to guarantee accurate assessment and results – being trusted as assessing what should be assessed – is  by giving learners ‘plenty of chances to show what they can do, and that their language learning is assessed through multiple methods’ as suggests Cameron (2001: 226).  This means that it would be useful to provide a lot of tasks to give learners plenty of opportunities to use the language. Children must always experience a feeling of success, so it is extremely important that there are tasks that all children will manage to perform.