CC BY
21IRSTI 14.25.09
CRITERION REFERENCED ASSESSMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION:
PRESENTATION AS A TOOL
Zh.Zh. Abiyeva
Suleyman Demirel University, Kaskelen, Kazakhstan; Almaty Management University, Kazakhstan
zhudi@mail.ru
Assessment is indispensible part of teaching and learning process. Criterion referenced assessment is a hot issue in Kazakhstan secondary and higher education system where the foreign language is inseparable. This paper attempts to deal with criterion referenced assessment purpose, functions and principles, as well as comparison with norm referenced assessment. The purpose of this article is to consider the technology of criterion referenced assessment as a way to increase motivation in mastering a foreign language at school and university and to prove its effectiveness in the process of learning a foreign language. A further possible presentation assessment criterion is offered as an alternative sound form for formative and summative assessment.
Keywords: norm referenced assessment, criteria referenced assessment, assessment criteria, rubric, descriptor, alternative assessment, presentation.
Introduction
The current paradigm of education in Kazakhstan has prompted the development of new approaches to the educational process, especially the competence-based one, which changes the type of goal setting, putting interdisciplinary, integrated requirements to the result of the educational process at the forefront.
In the process of modernization of Kazakhstan education, in particular foreign language education, the professional community faces many challenges. One of them is the lack of a reliable assessment system and, as a result, the need to create a transparent, valid technology for assessing the quality of education in school and university.
At the moment, the society has accumulated dissatisfaction with the traditional assessment system (norm referenced assessment), which is not able to reflect all the differences in the levels of student achievement. For Kazakhstan secondary and higher education in the light of its modernization, the problems of criterion referenced assessment are relevant, which is shifting from assessment of learning (AOL) (i.e., "use of assessment to determine the extent to which students have achieved intended learning outcome") to assessment for learning (AFL) ("when teachers use assessment evidence to inform their instruction") [1;3]. The purpose of this article is to consider the technology of criterion assessment as a way to increase motivation in mastering a foreign language at school and university and to prove its effectiveness in the process of learning a foreign language. The need for such technological support of the educational process is explained by several reasons: contradictions in the methodological science itself (against the background of its active development in recent years), which lead to the fact that many questions are controversial, problematic, and teachers of a foreign language should not only know about the problem, but also be able to solve it; the pluralism of the modern system of foreign language education, the diversity of curricula, manuals, in which you need not only to be guided, but also to be able to make an informed choice in accordance with the actual conditions of education. These reasons, as well as the need for a conscious, active, creative attitude of the teacher to learning activities on mastering intercultural communication, determine the importance of self-education of students and students, the formation of their culture of independent activity.
Criterion referenced Assessment: Functions and Principles
One of the basic conceptual ways of modernization of national education systems in contemporary world is Competence-based approach. The aims and the content of the general and vocational training are defined on the basis of competence-based approach. In competence-based education, authentic learning tasks based on real-life problems are the driving force behind training,
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simultaneously encouraging the development of professional skills and more general competences like being self-directed [2;38]. The aim is to prepare students for the workplace where people are expected to be broadly educated while stimulating lifelong learning [3;14]. Because competences are context-bound and the aim of vocational education is preparing students for the workplace, students should always develop competences in the context of a profession [4;523]. When teachers want to judge the competence development of their students, student assessments performed in a real-life context can support their findings. Therefore, to assess communicative language skills, teachers need to know how to meaningfully communicate in English as well as how to assess the construct of communicative competence [5;342]. Assessment criteria and standards are key clues for students to know what is essential in their study program.
The purpose of a Criteria Referenced assessment is to encourage and measure learning. Clearly defined objectives and standards are presented to the students at the beginning of the course, and tests are given to determine how much course material a student has learned and/or tasks are assigned and evaluated to see if they have been completed to established standards. When students know that their final grade will not be based on a bell curve, and when they know that if they meet the standards set at the beginning of the course they can receive the highest possible grade, they realize that each person controls his or her own destiny in the class. As Hughes [6;21] writes, "Criterion-referenced assessments therefore have two positive virtues: they set meaningful standards in terms of what people can do, which do not change with different groups of candidates, and they motivate students to attain those standards." Furthermore, students are competing with themselves, not their peers [7;140]. In a course in which the students admitted can reasonably be expected to be able to master the course material and/or complete the tasks, and grades are based on mastery of content and/ or the satisfactory completion of tasks, not based on a curve, students can only blame themselves for poor marks.
Criterion assessment is carried out in accordance with the content of curricula, forms of control measures, individual psychological and pedagogical features of students; on the basis of the unity of the formative and ascertaining assessment, consisting in the holistic use of the intermediate and final control of the educational achievements of students; awareness that serves as an effective characteristic of the process of monitoring students' academic achievements; diagnostic basis, carried out in the conduct of pedagogical diagnosis of the effectiveness of the use of this technology. Formative assessment compares students' achievements against success criteria and the learning objectives, which students need to achieve. Another important feature of the assessment system is that classroom assessment is closely interrelated with learning objectives [8;20].
Criterion assessment determines the purpose of creating conditions and opportunities for the formation and development of educational and cognitive activity of students, their creative and research sphere, educational independence and orientation in the flow of scientific information by introducing students to systematic reflection, to search for the meaning of this activity [9;62].
Table 1. Criterion assessment functions
Functions Content
1 Regulatory -fixing achievements regarding the approval of the state standard with the corresponding success of its training and graduation from their educational institution, - administrative tracking of individual students' progress, school classes, their level of training and quality of work functions are viewed and allows you to check the quantitative and qualitative performance levels
2 Diagnostic -determining the actual level of knowledge and skills of students, -assessment of the degree of mastering the curriculum, and level of competence formation
3 Training -increasing the motivation and individualization of the education Pace
4 Organizing -improving the organization of the educational process through the selection of optimal forms, methods and means of education
5 Educating development of the structure of value orientations
6 Orienting identifying the ways to improve results.
7 Informational the basis for obtaining information about the quality of their work, to
the teacher
- about student progress, to parents and community
- about the degree of achievement of learning outcomes orienting the definition
of ways to improve results.
Table 2. Principles of criterion referenced assessment
Principles Content
1. process connection Education Upbringing measurement parameters are determined by the requirements of national standard of education and training programs to the results of training and education
2. Significance emphasis on assessing the most significant learning outcomes and student performance.
3. objectivity and justice careful selection of specific assessment criteria which should not be an instrument of (or result) pressure.
4. Adequacy compliance assessment of knowledge, skills, values, competencies, goals and results learning.
5. Integration assessment is carried out as an integral part of learning process.
6. Openness and Publicity assessment criteria and strategies are reported to the students in advance; students participate in the design of assessment criteria.
7. Reliability the degree of reliability is determined by the coefficient reliability (correlation coefficient), which shows to what extent the results match
8. Efficiency ability to realize goals and plans with certain requirements - time cost, degree of achievement
9. Validity the validity of the measurement indicates that the technique allows you to measure really required criteria (characteristics) of the studied pedagogical phenomenon. Types of validity: substantive validity - expert diagnostic validation material program and the main objectives of training in controlled subject area consistency of diagnostic results with other independent forms of knowledge control; criterial - sufficient level of correlation test results for individual tasks and throughout the test as a whole; technical - provision a sufficient number of equivalent forms of gauges (options of tasks, questions), preventing the possibility of learning the correct mechanical replies.
10. systematic and consistency Evaluation procedures are carried out consistently and periodically. Periodically measurements taken together must be a complete system consisting from control measures as per certain sections and throughout the content
11. Comprehensiveness functional literacy task requires measurement of results on the development of the subject matter, the formation of key competences
12. Goodwill creating a situation of partnership between teacher and learners achievements; focus on development and support of students
Criterion referenced assessment system includes formative assessment (current marks), and summative assessment (upon completion of sections of the curriculum, the final assessment for the quarter and year) [10; 12]. Formative assessment is intended to determine the level of mastering knowledge and skills in the process of daily work in the classroom or at home. It is carried out in various forms and allows the teacher and the student to adjust their work and eliminate possible gaps and omissions prior to the conducting work. Formative marks are not taken into account when setting marks for stating works and final marks for a quarter.
The summative assessment is intended to determine the level of knowledge and learning skills at the end of the study block of the training topic. The ascertaining assessment is carried out according to the results of the performance of the ascertaining works of various kinds (tests, examinations). The marks put up for stating works are the basis for determining the final marks for the subject (course) for a quarter, for a year [11;2-4].
The summative assessment is set by criteria. Assessment criteria are available for familiarization of all participants in the educational process: students, teachers, parents.
Assessment criteria are also an integral part of formative assessment as well. Formative assessment criteria is focused on a specific piece of educational material (topic or section), whereas in summative assessment they are extensive.
The main terms that define the criteria as assessment tools are highlighted:
Criteria are determined by the objectives of the training and are a list of the various activities of the student, which he performs in the course of work and must be perfectly mastered as a result of the work.
A rubric is a list of criteria for assessing students 'knowledge by the studied topic. It is determined by the objectives of the study of a topic and is meaningfully filled with criteria that reveal this rubric.
Descriptors describe the student's achievement levels for each criterion (all the student's steps are consistently shown to achieve the best result) and are evaluated by a certain number of points: the higher the achievement, the higher the score for this criterion.
Norm referenced assessment verses Criterion referenced assessment
Criterion-referenced assessment (CRA) is usually developed to measure mastery of well-defined instructional objectives specific to a particular course or program. Their purpose is to measure how much learning has occurred. Student performance is compared only to the amount or percentage of material learned [12;2]. True CRAs are devised before instruction is designed so that the test will match the teaching objectives. This lessens the possibility that teachers will teach to the test." The criterion or cutoff score is set in advance. Student achievement is measured with respect to the degree of learning or mastery of the pre-specified content. A primary concern of a CRA is that it be sensitive to different ability levels.
Norm-referenced assessment (NRA) or standardized tests differ from criterion-referenced assessment in a number of ways. NRAs are designed to measure global language abilities. Students' scores are interpreted relative to all other students who take the exam. The purpose of an NRA is to spread students out along a continuum of scores so that those with low abilities in a certain skill are at one end of the normal distribution and those with high scores are at the other end, with the majority of the students falling between the extremes [12;2].
Further, I would like to state the conceptual differences between the two assessment approaches:
Table 3. Conceptual differences between NRA and CRA
Norm referenced assessment [13;2-13] Criterion referenced assessment:
> planning, training and assessment - isolated processes
> preference is given to one type of strategy or assessment toolkit
> assessment, mainly the prerogative of the teacher
> preference is given mainly to one strategy of recording the results of the student's learning
> planning, training and assessment - a single, holistic process
> use of a range of balanced assessment strategies
> engaging students in self- and inter-assessment
> using a variety of different and balanced ways of recording student learning outcomes and
activities and reporting
reporting strategies
> student responses are compared with the correct answer (estimated: knows, does not know)
> according to the student's answers, the level of his understanding for the current moment is assessed
> verification / testing upon completion of the work on the topic
> providing students with constant and timely feedback throughout the work on the topic
> the sole purpose of the assessment is to determine the mark
> providing students with the opportunity to
perceive assessment as a way of describing and improving learning outcomes
> Assessing the level of current knowledge and learning experience of students after studying a new topic.
> assessment of the level of current knowledge and educational experience of students before starting to learn a new topic.
Alternative assessment: Presentation as a tool
Frank debates that most of the teachers use paper and pencil based tests as a means of assessment to measure the achievement of their students, whereas globally, "Some alternative forms of assessment are (also) growing in popularity" [14;32]. As alternative assessment undertakes and considers the needs of the learners, the style they prefer to learn with, and the way they integrate the learning and assessment process. Thus, it highlights positive traits among learners, brings successful performance in limelight. Several types of alternative assessment can be used with great success in today's language classrooms:
• Self-assessment
• Portfolio assessment
• Student-designed tests
• Learner-centered assessment
• Projects
• Presentations
Due to the importance of complementing the assessment of student's performance with a peripheral method, in this paper, I will deal with oral presentation and give possible criteria which can be employed as a sound (effective) form for formative and summative assessment. According to King "oral presentation is an effective communicative activity that has been widely adopted by EFL conversation teachers to promote oral proficiency" [15;2].
Chan C. [16;3] defines presentations as "the process of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience or a group of audiences", he also adds that "presentations are often used to assess student learning in individual or group research projects". Therefore, using the presentation as an assessment tool gives the students an opportunity of facing real oral production and, moreover, real communication where the students put in practice not only their language skills, but skills useful for daily life like time managing, organization and management of unexpected situations, among others. Presentations are expected to follow certain structure: 1. Introduction/Aims/Objectives; 2. Major points and ideas explained and summarized; 3. Results/Related points/Issues/or others depending on the topic and 4. Conclusion - future work. (Ibíd, para. 2). In order to achieve expected results and be transparent in assessment, as it is mentioned earlier, students should be given assessment criteria. Usually teachers may find themselves agonizing over crafting performance descriptors and rubrics. The following table offers possible sample presentation assessment criteria (adapted from Salem State University):
Table 4. Presentation assessment criteria[17]
"A" Exceptional "B" very good "C" Adequate "D" Fair "F" Poor
Content All material clearly supports the primary message. Recommendation s and conclusions are clear. All analysis supports the recommendations and conclusions. Realizes all of the content and is generally very good but shows less detailed analysis and integration. Contains one or two serious errors or flaws, and one or two minor ones. Includes one or two fundamental mistakes and misapplications of the business concepts. Repeats facts for the appropriate sections but includes minimal analysis and has adequate development of the strategic implications and recommendations. Contains some serious errors or flaws, and usually some minor ones. Includes some fundamental mistakes and misapplications of business concepts. Does not include the facts for the appropriate sections of the presentation. Fails to address many parts of the case. Contains many serious errors or flaws, and usually many minor ones. Includes many fundamental mistakes and misapplications of the business concepts.
Coherence A clearly developed message that flows naturally. The transitions are smooth. The presentation is succinct and not choppy. The flow and transitions are generally smooth but show less polish and practice. The flow and transitions have one or two major errors. The presentation shows little polish and practice. The flow and transitions contain serious flaws. There is little cohesion between the speakers and the material.
Organization Follows the format provided in the outline. Team introductions and the agenda start the formal presentation. The audience has handouts prior to the presentation. Indicate when you would like to take questions. Generally follows this outline with one or two minor flaws. Follows the outline with several major flaws. The presentation shows little teamwork and coordination between the speakers. The presentation is generally disjointed and contains numerous organizational flaws.
Creativity Involved the management team in the presentation. Made points in a creative way. Held the audience's attention throughout. Presented the conclusions and recommendati ons with interesting twists. Held the management team's attention most of the time. Some related facts but went off topic and lost the management team's attention. Presented the conclusions and recommendations with little or no imagination. Little creativity or enthusiasm displayed. Went the through the motions of making the presentation.
Speaking skills Poised, clear articulation,
proper volume,
steady rate, good
posture and eye
contact,
confidence.
Balance Each speaker has The majority Two or three team One or two team The entire team
between a command of the of the team members have members have generally lacks a
speakers entire case and is has command command of the command of the command of the
able to address of the entire entire case. entire case. case.
detailed questions case.
in one or two
areas not directly
responsible for
preparing.
Timeliness Within 2 minutes Within 3 Within 4 minutes + of Within 5 Within 6 minutes
+ of the 20 minute minutes + of the 20 minute goal. minutes + of the + of the 20 minute
goal. the 20 minute 20 minute goal. goal.
goal.
Question The presentation The The presentation The presentation The presentation
responsiveness addressed all presentation addressed some addressed few did not address
major questions. addressed major questions. The major questions. major questions.
The team several major team anticipated few The team The team
anticipated all of questions. of management's anticipated few anticipated none
management's The team questions and of of management's
questions and anticipated prepared responses management's questions and did
prepared some of (e.g., additional questions and not prepare
responses (e.g., management's Power Point slides. did not prepare responses (e.g.,
additional Power questions and The team was able to responses (e.g., additional Power
Point slides). The prepared address some of additional Point slides. The
team was able to responses management's Power Point team was able to
fully address all (e.g., questions and slides. The team address very few
of management's additional deferred one or two was able to of management's
questions. Power Point major questions. address few of questions and
slides. The management's deferred most
team was able questions and major and minor
to generally deferred two or questions.
address three major
management's questions.
questions and
deferred only
one or two
minor
questions.
Table 5. Presentation analysis assessment form
Team: Case:
"A" exceptional Full point(s) "B" very good <0.9 points "C" adequate <0.7 points "D" fair 0.6 points "F" poor 0.5 to 0 points
Content (2 points)
Coherence (1 Point)
Organization (1 Point)
Creativity
(1 Point)
Speaking skills (2)
Balance between speakers (1 Point)
Timeliness (1 Point)
Question responsiveness (1 Point)
Overall presentation score:
Conclusion
The criterion assessment system is not the only alternative system of normative assessment, but it allows the teacher to abandon the generally accepted approach to assessment, from the use of subjective and expert assessment of knowledge. Thus, differentiating the assessment of a particular aspect of a student's activity for a certain number of points, the teacher has a motivational influence on the necessary aspect of the student's work. Of course, the effectiveness of the application of this assessment system depends on the teacher, his willingness to organize and manage the educational process, to carry out an additional "accounting". The assessment should motivate the student to be interested in the classes, to strive to improve their own results. In this regard, when assessing progress, the teacher should be more focused on the pace of student development, encourage his striving for self-improvement and deepen his knowledge in the field of the subject being studied. The teacher must ensure that each student has equal access to the basics of his academic subject, relying on broad and flexible learning methods and tools for the development of learners with varying degrees of ability.
References
1. Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2018). Classroom assessment and pedagogy. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 25(1), 1-25.
2. Wesselink, R., Biemans, H. J. A., Mulder, M., & Van den Elsen, E. (2007). Competence-based VET as seen by Dutch researchers. European Journal Vocational Training, 40(1), 38-51.
3. Van Merrienboer, Kirschner P.A, Paas F., Sloep P.B., Caniels M. (2009). Towards an integrated approach for research on lifelong learning. Educational Technology. 49(3):3-15.
4. Biemans H, Nieuwenhuis L, Poell R, Mulder M, Wesselink R(2004). Competence-based VET in the Netherlands: Background and pitfalls. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. (pp523-538). doi: 10.1080/13636820400200268.
5. Morrow, C. K. (2018). Communicative language testing. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching. Volume 8 (pp. 342-350). United States, NJ: Wiley.
6. Hughes (2003). Testing for Language teachers , (p.21) Cambridge.
7. McNamara, 2000 Language Testing, (p140) Oxford University Press
8. Kurmanbayeva G, (2016) Vnedreniye Sistemy Kriterialnogo Otsenivaniya v Ramkakh Obnovleniya Soderzhaniya Obrazovaniya. Pedogical Dialogue2 (16), 20-24. Astana: Printing House of PE "Center of Excellence", AEO Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.
9. Vorovshchikov S. G. (2007) Model' soderzhaniya uchebno-poznavatel'noy kompetentnosti // Kompetentsii v obrazovanii.// Model of the content of educational and cognitive competence // Competences in education.( p. 62-71)
10. Koryakovtseva N.F.( 2001) Avtonomnost' studentov v protsesse izucheniya inostrannogo yazyka i kul'tury // Avtonomiya v praktike prepodavaniya inostrannykh yazykov i kul'tur// Student autonomy in the process of learning a foreign language and culture // Autonomy in the practice of teaching foreign languages and cultures. Vol. 461. p. 12-28
11. Filatova T.N. (2011) (Sozdanie communicativnikh zadach na uroke angliiskogo yazyka.) Angliskii yazyk v shkole//Creating communicative tasks in English class // English at school. №1(33). - p.2-4.
12. Brown, J. D. (2005). Testing in language programs: A comprehensive guide to English language assessment (New ed.).(p.2) New York: McGraw-Hill College (ISBN: 0072948361).
13. Galskova, N. D., (2012) Problemy inoyazychnogo obrazovaniya na sovremennom etape i vozmozhnyye puti ikh resheniya.// Problems of Foreign Language Education at the Present Stage and Possible ways to solve them. (p.2-13) Foreign languages in school.№ 9.
14. Frank, J. (2012). The role of assessment in language teaching. English Teaching Forum, 50(3), p32.
15. King, J. (2002). Preparing EFL Learners for Oral Presentations. The Internet TESL Journal, 8.
16. Chan, C. (2009) Assessment: Presentation, Assessment Resources@HKU, University of Hong Kong.
17. Salem State University Presentation Evaluation Criteria
Критерий референтной оценки в иноязычном образовании: презентация как инструмент
Ж.Ж. Абиева
Университет им. Сулеймана Демиреля, г. Каскелен, Казахстан;
Алматы Менеджмент Университет, Алматы, Казахстан zhudi@mail.ru
Оценивание является неотъемлемой частью учебного процесса. Критериальное оценивание выступает актуальной проблемой в системе среднего и высшего образования Казахстана, необходимый компонент в оценивании образовательных достижений в иностранном языке. В статье рассматриваются цель, функции и принципы критериального оценивания, даётся сравнительный анализ систем критериального и традиционного оценивания. Цель статьи - рассмотрение технологии критериальной оценки как способа повышения мотивации при овладении иностранным языком в школе и вузе и обоснование ее эффективности в процессе изучения иностранного языка. В качестве альтернативной обоснованной формы для формативного и суммативного оценивания предлагаются критерии оценивания презентации.
Ключевые слова: традиционное оценивание, критериальное оценивание, рубрика, дескриптор, альтернативная форма, презентация.
Шет тшш бшудеп аныктамалык баFалау критериш: презентация к^рал ре^нде
Ж.Ж. Абиева
Сулейман Демирел атындагы Университет; Алматы Менеджмент Университет^ Алматы, Казакстан
zhudi@mail.ru
Багалау окыту мен оку процесшщ ажырамас белп-i болып табылады. Критериалды багалау - б^л шет тшн окытудыц ажырамас белт, жэне де Казакстанныц орта жэне жогары бшм беру жYЙесiндегi езекп мэселеа. Макалада критериалды багалаудыц максаты, функциялары мен кагидалары, сондай-ак дэстYрлi багалау салыстырылган. Осы макаланыц максаты - мектепте жэне университетте шет тiлiн мецгерудеп ынтаны жогарылатудыц эдiсi ретiнде критериалды багалау технологиясын карастыру жэне оныц шет тiлiн Yйрену процесiнде тшмдшпн дэлелдеу. Макалада презентацияны багалаудыц критерийлерi калыптастырушы жэне жиынтык багалаудыц балама тYрi ретiнде ^сынылады.
Туйш свздер: дэстYрлi багалау, критериалды багалау, рубрика, дескриптор, балама багалау, презентация.
Received on 21.05.2020.
