Ptlls_Theory_Q5,_Assessment_Methods_and_Records

Theory Question 5 • State the different assessment methods available and explain the ones you would use for your subject area, including reference to initial assessment. • State the types of assessment records you would complete and explain why. ‘Assessment is a way of finding out if learning has taken place. It enables you, the assessor, to ascertain if your learner has gained the required skills and knowledge needed at a given point towards a course or qualification (Gravells, 2008).’ Assessment takes place at the start, throughout and at the end of the learning process. It is important as it makes sure that the learner is suitable for the course, is coping with the course and judges how successful he or she has been against agreed criteria at the end of the course. There are three types of assessment: 1. Initial/Diagnostic assessment. This takes place before the course begins and assesses the learner’s suitability for the course. It is important that the learner understands what the course entails, what the workload is like and what should be achieved by the end. If the learner is well informed then they will be able to decide if they really want to proceed. At this stage in the process the teacher may be able to ascertain that the course is not suitable and offer alternative avenues to research. In TEFL teaching diagnostic assessment is carried out before the course starts to ensure that the student is correctly placed in the most suitable learning level. A student’s English ability is usually ascertained by a one to one interview and short test with the teacher. It is important to correctly place students according to ability as if they are put in a class that is too easy they will get bored and if they are placed in a class that is too hard they will struggle, lose confidence and feel demoralised. 2. Formative assessment. Formative assessment is an ongoing process and ensures that the learner is on track to succeed by the end of the course. It is important as it detects problems early and enables you to nip them in the bud. Without formative assessment a learner could fall behind the class and ultimately fail the course. In TEFL teaching formative assessment is usually given by offering constructive feedback throughout the lesson. Sometimes a raised eyebrow or a questioning intonation is enough to make a student stop, think about the sentence they have said and self correct. Concept checks are another important way of doing formative assessment. Rather than simply asking if the student has understood, which could result in a ‘yes’ answer regardless of comprehension, they are asked to form sentences using the new words or point to objects that confirm learning. 3. Summative assessment. This takes place at the end of the lesson or course and checks that the student has achieved the aims. This is done by consolidating what has been learnt over the course of the lesson and seeing whether or not the student has fully understood everything. Summative assessment usually results in either a pass or a fail. In either case constructive feedback should be given to enable the student to improve and if necessary try again at a later date. In TEFL teaching summative assessment is often in the form of a role play which puts into practice the different sentence structures or ideas that have been learnt in the lesson. Sometimes foreign students are learning English in order to improve their TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) score. In this case the test is the summative assessment. Assessment records need to be completed in order to prove that assessment has taken place and how the student fared. This is needed for governing bodies to assess the course, teachers to assess the student and for the student to appreciate how they are doing and how they can improve. In publicly funded learning institutions a register of attendance is a legally required record. However, in a private language school where the student pays from their own pocket to be there this is not the case. That said, pointing out to a student their lack of attendance can help them to understand their lack of progress. As a TEFL teacher it is not always the case that you will get the same set of students from week to week therefore it is important to keep a record of each student’s individual progress so that continuity is maintained and other teachers can pick up where you left off.