Проблема оценки и определения качества обучения, уровня владения видами речевой деятельности, степени сформированности иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции – одна из центральных в методике преподавания иностранных языков.
В последнее время широкую популярность приобретает идея “альтернативной формы оценки” достижений учащихся.
Многие преподаватели используют термин “альтернативная оценка” для характеристики альтернатив традиционному, стандартизованному, основанному на нормах и критериях, письменному тестированию. Что представляет собой “альтернативная” форма оценки, зависит от традиций, существующих в конкретной системе просвещения.
Одной из форм альтернативной оценки считается портфолио, систематическая, организованная подборка работ учащегося, которая предоставляет другим непосредственное подтверждение усилий, достижений и успехов учащегося за определенный промежуток времени. При работе над подборкой учащийся должен участвовать в выборе ее содержания. В нее должны входить информация о критериях выполнения, критерии оценки достоинств, а также подтверждение самоанализа учащегося. Она должна включать репрезентативную работу, свидетельствующую о результатах учащегося и являющуюся основой для оценки его успехов. В зависимости от назначения в портфолио учащегося могут входить следующие компоненты: образцы выполненных контрольных тестов, домашних заданий, проектные работы, аудиозаписи устной работы, листы самооценки, отзывы учащихся группы и комментарии преподавателя. Такая форма является особенно ценной при осуществлении “промежуточной”, а не “заключительной” оценки.
Использование оценочных рубрик является другой формой альтернативной оценки, во многом способной обеспечить качественную оценку достижений обучаемых. Рубрики - это описательные оценочные схемы, которые разработаны преподавателями для того, чтобы руководить процессом или результатом работы студентов. С помощью рубрик можно оценивать письменные работы, работу в группах, проекты и устные презентации по разным предметам. Рубрики используются как в средней, так и в высшей школе. Существуют холистические и аналитические оценочные рубрики. При аналитическом подходе требуется идентификация различных измерений или характеристик действий, которые оцениваются отдельно. Холистически рубрики не предполагают отдельную оценку или анализ каждого из критериев, полный продукт или результат оценивается в целом. (Подробнее о рубриках читайте на http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php)
В своей преподавательской практике мне видится целесообразным применение некоторых форм альтернативной оценки. Так, мною был разработан и опробован на практике план оценки деятельности и достижений учащихся с использованием альтернативных форм оценки. Ниже представлен сам план и даны рекомендации к его применению.
INFORMAL ASSESSMENT PLAN
I. LEARNING GOALS
The main learning goal set is to develop students’ language skills, i.e. consolidate, refine and extend what students already know, provide them with techniques for continuing to learn and provide help with specific techniques required by any exam they may choose to take.
By the completion of the course the students have to function as follows in the language and skills areas listed below.
Reading
To be able read semi-authentic texts (level upper intermediate) of various kinds, informative and general interest, and to show understanding of gist, detail and text structure, and deduce meaning.
Writing
To be able to write non-specialized text types such as letters, articles, reports and compositions for a given purpose, covering a range of topics.
Grammar
To master familiar grammar areas such as verb tenses, reported speech, passives, etc.
Vocabulary
To increase the number of words they can recognize and use easily (up to 500 new words and expressions). To expand their knowledge of word-formation, phrasal verbs and idioms. To learn to use a good monolingual dictionary.
Listening
To understand the detail and gist of short extracts and longer monologues, announcements, extracts from radio programs, news, features, etc.
Speaking
To be able to communicate in a wide variety of situations.
II. SETTING/SCENE
There’s a class of 11 university students aged 18 and older. They are all learners of English at level B1 (Common European Framework). The coursebook being used is Going for Gold Upper Intermediate (Longman). The coursebook consists of 15 graded units containing the presentation and practice of grammar and vocabulary as well as the four skills, all linked to a theme. There are also 15 photocopiable unit tests consisting of exercises testing the material covered in a single unit. The students are provided with coursebooks, class audiocassettes, bilingual and monolingual dictionaries. The Teacher’s Book is also available for the teacher to use.
The situations in which informal assessments can be used are, for example, the completion of the textbook unit, the end of the term, working on writing assignments and speaking tasks.
III. ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS
The chosen informal assessments to be used with the group are rubrics, progress checklists and ROAs.
- I suggest using analytic rubrics for writing and speaking assignments (as a working guide for students) handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged; or after the writing assignment has been checked by the teacher for its further correction. The rubrics are supposed to be used whenever the above-mentioned assignments are suggested.
- Progress checklists are intended to guide students in making their own judgement about their progress following the completion of a new unit.
- Record of Achievement is for the teacher and his/her students to think carefully about strengths and weaknesses and decide on future courses of action at then end of the term. The students are asked to write their own assessment of their successes and difficulties and say how they think they may improve. The teacher gives comments and provides his/her own assessment.
IV. SAMPLE
- Analytic Rubric for General Speaking Assessment
| Criteria | Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 |
Accomplished 3 |
Mastery 4 |
| Comprehensibility | barely comprehensible | mostly comprehensible, requiring interpretation on the part of the listener | comprehensible, requiring minimal interpretation on the part of the listener | comprehensible, requiring no interpretation on the part of the listener |
| Fluency | long pauses or incomplete thoughts | frequent pauses, few or no incomplete thoughts | occasional hesitation, thoughts complete | speech continuous, at a comfortable speed; few pauses |
| Use of Vocabulary | mostly inaccurate and too basic for this level | somewhat inaccurate, vocabulary basic for this level | accurate, vocabulary for this level, connected with the topic used | accurate, a good variety of words and expressions connected with the topic used |
| Use of Grammar | inadequate and/or inaccurate use of basic language structures | emerging use of basic language structures, examples of grammatical misuse | emerging control of basic language structures, some problems of grammatical accuracy | control of basic language structures, few obvious mistakes |
| Pronunciation | makes intelligibility difficult, frequently interferes with communication | problematic, occasionally interferes with communication | does not interfere with communication | intelligible |
| Task completion | minimal completion of the task and/or responses frequently inappropriate | partial completion of the task, responses mostly appropriate yet undeveloped, communication on occasions | completion of the task, responses appropriate and adequately developed, the speaker makes himself/herself understood | excellent completion of the task, little difficulty in communicating ideas |
| Total Score | ||||
- Assessing Writing (Analytic Rubric)
Assignment You have recently been discussing the question:
Which is the most important thing for a happy life: a lot of money, good health, a close family or an important job? Your teacher has asked you to write a composition summarizing your opinions and reasons in 120-140 words.
Criteria |
Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 (minimum passing grades |
Accomplished 3 |
Exemplary 4 |
Content 30% |
-inadequate
0.3 x 1= 0.3 point |
- barely related to the task set
0.3 x 2= 0.6 point |
- almost related to the task set
0.3 x 3= 0.9 point |
- adequate (the composition summarizes the student’s opinions and reasons on the topic) 0.3 x 4= 1.2 point |
Organization and Cohesion
30% |
the subject of the composition is not clear 0.06 x 1 = 0.06 point |
-the subject of the composition is poorly
introduced 0.06x 2 = 0.12 point |
-the subject of the composition is adequately
introduced 0.06x 3= 0.18 point |
-the subject of the composition is clearly
introduced 0.06x 4= 0.24 point |
| -lack of organization 0.06 x 1 = 0.06 point |
-poor paragraphing and organization 0.06 x 2 = 0.12 point |
-adequate paragraphing and organization 0.06 x 3= 0.18 point |
-proper paragraphing and good organization 0.06 x 4= 0.24 point |
|
| -poor development and linking of ideas 0.06x 1 = 0.06 point |
-clear development and linking of ideas 0.06x 2 = 0.12 point |
-adequate development and linking of ideas 0.6 x 3= 0.18 point |
-clear development and linking of ideas 0.06x 4= 0.24 point |
|
| -the student’s opinion is not expressed 0.06x 1 = 0.06 point |
-the student’s opinion is not clearly expressed
0.06x 2 = 0.12 point |
- the student’s opinion is clear enough 0.06 x 3= 0.18 point |
-the student’s opinion is clearly expressed in
the conclusion 0.06 x 4= 0.24 point |
|
| - merging linking words and expressions 0.06 x 1 = 0.06 point |
-a small number of linking words and expressions
used 0.06 x 2 = 0.12 point |
- some linking words and expressions used
0.06 x 3= 0.18 point |
-a variety of linking words and expressions used 0.06x 4= 0.24 point |
|
Vocabulary 20% |
-mostly inaccurate use, vocabulary too basic for
this level 0.2x 1= 0.2 point |
-somewhat inaccurate use of vocabulary,
vocabulary being too basic 0.2x 2 = 0.4 point |
-some interesting vocabulary, accurate use 0.2 x 3 = 0.6 point |
-rich use of vocabulary connected with the topic
used 0.2 x 4 = 0.8 point |
Accuracy 20% |
-poor spelling and punctuation 0.1 x 1=0.1 point |
-a small number of spelling and punctuation
mistakes 0.1 x 2=0.2 point |
-some spelling and punctuation mistakes 0.1 x 3=0.3 point |
-lack of spelling and punctuation mistakes 0.1 x 4=0.4 point |
| - a lot of grammar errors 0.1 x 1=0.1 point |
- a small number of grammar errors 0.1 x 2=0.2 point |
-some non-impending grammar errors 0.1 x 3=0.3 point |
-lack of grammar errors 0.1 x 4=0.4 point |
|
| Total Score | ||||
- Assessing Student’s Progress
Use this checklist for Unit 10 to record how you feel about your progress. Tick if you are satisfied with your progress. Put a cross if you are not satisfied.
I can |
Yes/No |
I know |
Yes/No |
| effectively read for specific information | the technique of answering multiple-choice questions about the text | ||
| use structures with too, very and enough correctly | the differences between the structures with too, very and enough | ||
| effectively listen for specific information | how to listen actively | ||
| use common dependent prepositions for nouns, verbs and adjectives correctly | some effective ways of learning prepositions | ||
| talk about shops and shopping | some interesting vocabulary (money and shopping) | ||
| talk about things that make me happy | some words and expressions to react to what somebody is saying and give oneself time to think | ||
| write a discursive composition | some useful expressions which can be used in a discursive composition |
- Record of Achievement (at the end of the term)
Write your own assessment of your successes and difficulties and say how you think you can proceed. Answer the following questions:
How do you feel about your performance?
What were the problem areas?
What can you do to achieve better results?
| Student comment | Signed……………………………………… |
| Teacher comment | Signed……………………………………… |
V. REFLECTION
Some new criteria can be added (and the old ones can be eliminated from) to the list while designing rubrics to assess a specific writing or speaking assignment, for example, an informal letter, a feature article or a presentation.
The checklist (I can/I know) should be worked out for every particular unit of the coursebook.
I would also suggest using dialogue journals as a tool of receiving information for assessment purposes.
Список литературы
1. Genesee, F. & Upshur, J.A. (1996). Journals, questions and interviews. In F.Genessee &J.A. Upshur’s Portfolios and conferences. In Classroom-based evaluation in second language education.Cambridge University Press, pp.141-153.
2. Hancock, C. B. (1994). Alternative assessment and second language study: What? and why? ERIC Digest (ED376695)
3. Mertler, C. A. (2001). Designing scoring rubrics for your classroom. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 7(25).
4. Harmer, J.(2001). The practice of English language teaching. Longman, pp. 321-334.
5. Shabaan, K. (2001). Assessment of Young learners. Forum, 39(4), pp.16-27.