Self/Peer-Assessment: Stress-Free Consciousness-Raising and Reflection

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Self/Peer-AssessmentStress-Free
Consciousness-Raising and Reflection
Constituent Theme Funding "Languages, Media and
Communication Language in Education and
Assessment November 23rd, 5 630 pm

• Developing cognitive, affective and social
  learning skills through alternative assessment

Dr. Andrew Finch
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Rationale

• if we see education as fostering achievement
  in a personal sense then an emphasis on
  personal achievement, focussing on
  self-knowledge, self-assessment, and
  self-regulation (the true meaning of autonomy)
  appears long overdue.
• Lier, L. Van (1996) Interaction in the Language
  Classroom Awareness, Autonomy Authenticity.
  Harlow Addison Wesley Longman, p.119.

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More

• Self-assessment encourages the student to
  become part of the whole process of language
  learning, and to be aware of individual
  progress.
• Harris, M. (1997). Self-assessment of language
  learning in formal settings. ELT Journal Vol.
  51/1, pp. 12-20. Oxford Oxford University Press,
  p. 15.

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Even more

• Assessment leading towards evaluation is an
  important educational objective in its own right.
  
• Training learners in this is beneficial to
  learning.
• Self-assessment is a necessary part of
  self-determination.
• Self-assessment is one way of alleviating the
  assessment burden on the teacher.
• Dickinson, L. (1987). Self-Instruction in
  Language Learning. Cambridge. Cambridge
  University Press.

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Rationale of self-assessment procedures in
language learning

• promotion of learning
• raised level of awareness
• improved goal orientation
• expansion of range of assessment
• shared assessment burden
• beneficial postcourse effects
• Oscarson, M. (1989). 'Self-assessment of language
  proficiency rationale and implications. RELC
  Journal, Vol. 19. No. 1 pp. 75-93

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Self-assessment in the school classroom

• Self-assessment is a practical tool that can
  make students more active and can assist them
  with the daunting task of learning how to
  communicate in another language. Harris, M.
  (1997). Self-assessment of language learning in
  formal settings. ELT Journal Vol. 51/1, pp.
  12-20. Oxford OUP.
• this kind of self-appraisal would be
  particularly helpful in the case of (false)
  beginners.Blanche, P. (1988). Self-assessment
  of foreign language skills implications for
  teachers and researchers. RELC Journal Vol. 19.
  No. 1, pp.75-93.

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Reliability and Validity

• the validity of learner judgements can in fact
  be quite high. (Oscarson 1989, p. 2)
• ..a majority of students find it easier to
  estimate their purely communicative competence
  level than their mastery of grammar. (Blanche
  1988, p. 75)

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Peer-assessment

• Haughton Dickinson (1989) found "a relatively
  high level of agreement between the peer
  assessments and the marks given by the lecturers"
  in their study of a collaborative post-writing
  assessment
• Students were able to assess their own work
  realistically, even though most felt
  inexperienced as testers and were not comfortable
  with being tested by classmates.
• Students were sincere.
• Students demonstrated a similar level of
  assessment to that of the lecturers.
• The scheme did not result in a lowering of
  standards.
• The students benefited in their understanding of
  and attitude towards assessment by taking part in
  the study.
• Miller, L. Ng, R. (1996). Autonomy in the
  classroom peer assessment, (p. 142). In R.
  Pemberton, S.L. Edward, W.W.F. Or, and H.D.
  Pierson (Eds.), Taking Control Autonomy in
  Language Learning. Hong Kong Hong Kong
  University Press, pp. 133-146.

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Practicalities (ve)

• Consciousness-raising
• Lifelong Assessment Skills
• Realistic Expectations
• Goal-setting
• Evaluation of achievement
• Reflection and planning
• Responsibility for learning

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Practicalities (-ve)

• Peer-pressure
• Passive perceptions about assessment
• The teacher evaluates
• The students are evaluated
• Evaluation happens twice each semester
• Real assessment is summative