The teacher uses 10 different types of assessments in their classroom that range from traditional to more alternative approaches. Some assessments are used frequently while others are used occasionally. Most assessments are summative and designed internally, with the teacher providing feedback. While most assessments are individual, some incorporate group work or peer assessment. The teacher aims to improve assessments by incorporating more formative and diagnostic testing as well as improving peer assessment.

1. How do my assessment practices fit
into current theories and practices?
Module LCE513
Instructor: Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous
Student: Bart Pardoel

2. Introduction
In this report, I will review 10
types of assessments I use in my
class. Some are used occasionally,
other tests are used a lot more.
However, I tried to show a wide
range of different types of
assessments I use as a teacher.
Obviously, there are many more
tests that students need to take.
Still, I am convinced that this list
covers the most frequent types.
Type of assessments used in teaching
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of ChapterTest
3ReadingTest
4Listening Skills StandardisedTest
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7VocabularyTest
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet onWriting
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

3. Introduction
In the Dutch education system, there are a lot of tests and
assessments. Especially younger students need feedback
as they wish to know how they are doing. Also, students
are used to getting a grade for their efforts. And while
grading in itself is an opportunity for feedback, this
constant grading sometimes results in extrinsic motivated
students, who only want to study if their work is graded.
Type of assessments used in teaching

4. Summative or formative?
Since grading takes such important role in our education
system, most of my tests and assessments tend to be
summative. Activity #5 consists of a set of formative
tests, but the final test is summative. Only low stakes
tests, such as the
diagnostic puzzle (#1)
or the group task (#10)
are truly formative.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Formative Summative
1 Listening Skills Puzzle
2 End of Chapter Test
3 Reading Test
4 Listening Skills Standardised Test
5 Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6 Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7 Vocabulary Test
8 Writing a small tekst
9 Assessment Booklet on Writing
10 Collaborative assessment on Culture

5. Internal or External?
Generally speaking, tests and assessments are designed
by the school’s teachers. Only some formal examinations
(for example #4) are bought from a commercial third
party. Other formal tests are the result of discussions with
all language teachers.
Of course, we need to
keep the tests in line
with what we teach
and our final
objectives.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Formal Informal Internal External
1 Listening Skills Puzzle
2 End of Chapter Test
3 Reading Test
4 Listening Skills Standardised Test
5 Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6 Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7 Vocabulary Test
8 Writing a small tekst
9 Assessment Booklet on Writing
10 Collaborative assessment on Culture

6. Internal or External?
The End of Chapter assessment (#2) is a test from a
commercial party, but we adapted and expanded it in a
way that it fits our students better.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Formal Informal Internal External
1 Listening Skills Puzzle
2 End of Chapter Test
3 Reading Test
4 Listening Skills Standardised Test
5 Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6 Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7 Vocabulary Test
8 Writing a small tekst
9 Assessment Booklet on Writing
10 Collaborative assessment on Culture

7. Official testing
During a schoolyear, students collect a large number of
grades. In the lower years, these grades are used to
determine whether the student can move on to the next
class at the end of year, or s/he must do the same class
again for a full year.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Course Work Examination
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

8. Official testing
In the final years, grades are a part of the examination
programme. Of course, this means that any test is a part
of the examination as well. That explains the large
number of examination tests.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Course Work Examination
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

9. Who is grading? Who is giving feedback?
In most of the tests and assessments, the teacher is the
one who checks the scores and gives feedback.This is
considered part of the teacher’s responsibility. However,
there are some activities that allow for self-correction or
peer assessment. In this
case the puzzle (#1) is
really easy to self-check
or discuss answers with
peers.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Self Peer Instructor
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

10. Who is grading? Who is giving feedback?
Also the video blog (#6) contains some self-assessment
elements. While the final blog is graded by the teacher, all
draft versions are checked by the students themselves
and only the best video blog is submitted.
Another exception is
the writing activity
(#8).This is a formal
test but is completely
peer assessed.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Self Peer Instructor
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

11. Individual or group work?
Most assessments are individual tests, however there are
some exceptions. While the final video blog (#6) is an
individual test, all preparational activities are done in
pairs.That is also the case with the weekly speaking skills
(#5) and the booklet
(#9). Collaboration is
very important in these
tasks.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Group Individual
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

12. Individual or group work?
Group work is valued as a good way to prepare, to learn,
and to give feedback, but in an assessment students are
on their own. An exception on this philosophy is the
collaborative assessment on culture (#10).This was a test
where the collective
work was assessed.
Students are not used
to that and insist on
individual feedback.
Type of assessments used in teaching
Activity Group Individual
1Listening Skills Puzzle
2End of Chapter Test
3Reading Test
4Listening Skills Standardised Test
5Weekly Speaking Skills Assessment
6Video Blog (Speaking Skills)
7Vocabulary Test
8Writing a small tekst
9Assessment Booklet on Writing
10Collaborative assessment on Culture

13. Conclusion
My assessments represent mixed learning theories. On the one
hand, I use traditional elements in my tests. On the other hand,
there are quite some alternative aspects in my assessments.
Some larger assessments reflect contextualised,
communicative situations, but more than half of the tests does
not. Even when tests are used as a formative test, the desire for
grades makes it test-driven and places emphasis on
summative, formal testing.
Most of the tests are graded solely by the teacher, or in
combination with the students. Finally, almost all tests are
individual assessments. Even when the role of the group must
not be underestimated in the preparational part of the
assessment, the final test is likely to be individual.
Type of assessments used in teaching

14. In my assessments, I use several
types of tasks. All of the traditional
elements, but also some of the
alternative tasks can be found in
assessments I use in my classroom.
Tasks based on a constructivist
theory of learning are more complex
to grade, since they do not belong to
a standardised test. It is a more time-consuming way, but
at the same time a very rewarding way of testing.
Assessments tasks used in teaching
Traditional Alternative
Multiple-Choise x Portfolios
Gap filling x Diaries
Matching x Interviews
True False x Role-playing x
Story-telling
Inventories
Self- assessment x
Peer assessment x
Discussions x
Video Blogs x

15. Improvements
A lot of assessments I use in my class can be improved,
but it must be done carefully. Students must get familiar
with other types of testing. Some tasks, for example
portfolios, can be introduced quite easily, whereas
interviews need some more preparation. Generally, I am
content with the amount of preparational group work, but
I see that peer assessment has some room for
improvement. Also, more diagnostic formative testing
would be desirable.
Assessments: the future

16. Food for thought
A test should reflect what a student can do, not what the
student is unable to do. Let the future of my assessments
move towards the left side of this cartoon.
Assessments: the future

17. Thank you for you attention!