This document discusses key concepts and principles of assessment for English language learners. It begins by explaining why assessment should take place, noting that it is used to measure learning and improve instruction. It then covers key concepts involved in assessment like accountability, achievement, and different assessment types and strategies. Several principles of assessment are outlined, including being ethical, fair, valid, reliable and practical. The document concludes by providing checklists to evaluate if classroom tests are applying these principles of practicality, reliability, validity, authenticity, and having a beneficial washback effect on learning.

1. Assessment as EL
learning: concepts
and principles
Askardia Myra Vania (21216251033)
Ratih Henisah (21216251032)
Queen Fiqi Ardlillah (21216251074)

2. Table of Contents
Why Should Assessment Take Place?
The Principles of Assessment
1
3
2 The Key Concepts of Assessment
4 Applying Principle to the Evaluation of
Classroom Test

3. Why Should Assessment Take Place?
1

4. Why Should Assessment
Take Place?
Assessment should take place to ascertain if learning
has occurred.
Assessment should focus on improving and reinforcing
learning as well as measuring achievements.

5. Why Should Assessment
Take Place?
Assessment is a regular process.
Assessment should not be confused with evaluation,
assessment is of the learner, evaluation is of the
programme that the learner is taking.

6. The Key Concepts of Assessment
2

7. Concepts are the aspects involved throughout the assessment process.
Example:
• accountability
• achievement
• assessment strategies
• benchmarking
• evaluation
• internally or externally devised assessment methods (formal and informal)
• progression
• transparency
• types of assessment
Concepts of Assessment

8. Concepts of Assessment
You need to be accountable to your
learners to ensure you are carrying
out your role as an assessor
correctly.
Following the assessment strategy for
your subject will ensure you are
carrying out your role correctly and
holding or working towards the
required assessor qualifications.
Analyse achievement data and
compare this to national or
organisational targets.
Benchmarking involves comparing
what is the accepted standard for a
particular subject area against the
current position of your own
learners’ performance.
Accountability
Achievement
Assessment
Strategies
Benchmarking

9. Evaluation of the assessment process should always take place to inform current and
future practice.
Internally devised assessments might be produced by you or other staff at your
organisation such as: assignments, projects or questions which will also be marked
by you.
Concepts of Assessment
Externally devised assessments are usually produced by an awarding organisation,
for example, an examination.
Evaluation
Internally or Externally Assessments

10. Progression should be taken into account when
assessing learners.
To assist transparency, you need to ensure that
everyone who is involved in the assessment
process clearly understands what is expected
and can see there is nothing untoward taking
place.
Types of assessment include initial, formative,
and summative as well as diagnostic tests which
ascertain a learner’s current knowledge and
experience.
Progression
Transparency
Types of Assessment

11. The principles of Assessment
3

12. Principles are how the assessment process
is put into practice, for example, being:
ethical: the methods used are right and
proper for what is being assessed and the
context of assessment.
Principle

13. safe: the learner’s work can be confirmed as valid and authentic.
fair: the methods used are appropriate to all learners at the required
level, taking into account any particular needs. All learners should
have an equal chance of an accurate assessment decision.

14. Two important principles in
assessment.
1. VARCS
Valid – the work is relevant to what has been assessed and is at
the right level.
Authentic – the work has been produced solely by the learner.
Reliable – the work is consistent over time.
Current – the work is still relevant at the time of assessment.
Sufficient – the work covers all of the requirements at the time.

15. continued
2. SMART
Specific – the activity relates only to what is being assessed and is clearly
stated.
Measurable – the activity can be measured against the assessment
requirements, allowing any gaps to be identified.
Achievable – the activity can be achieved at the right level.
Relevant – the activity is suitable and realistic, relates to what is being
assessed and will give consistent results.
Time bound – target dates and times are agreed

16. Five principles in assessment
(Brown, 2004)
1. Practicality
2. Reliability
3. Validity
4. Authenticity
5. Washback

17. Practicality
It is not excessively expensive
It stays within appropriate time constraints
It is relatively easy to administer
It has a scoring/evaluation procedure that is specific and time-efficient
An effective test is practical. This means:

18. Reliability
A reliable test is consistent and dependable
Brown and Abeywickrama（2010）have summarized the feature of
this principle as follows: a reliable test
● is consistent in its conditions across two or more
administrations
● Provide clear instructions for evaluation
● Has consistent rubrics for scoring
● Helps assessor consistently apply these rubrics
● Contains test taker-specific items / tasks

19. Validity
Validity has been explained by Brown and Abeywickrama（2010）as
follows: a valid test
● measures exactly what it proposes to measure
● does not measure irrelevant or“contaminating”variables
● relies as much as possible on empirical evidence（performance）
● includes performance that samples the test’s criterion(objective）
● provides useful, meaningful information about a test-taker’s skills
● is supported by a theoretical rationale or argument

20. Authenticity
Bachman and Palmer (1996) define authenticity as the degree of
correspondence of the characteristic of a given language test task to the
features of a targets language task.
in a test, authenticity may be present in the following ways:
a. The language in the test is as natural as possible
b. items are contextualized rather than isolated
c. Topics are meaningful (relevant, interesting) for the learners
d. Some thematic organization to items is provided, such as through a
storyline or episode
e. Tasks represent or closely approximate, real-world tasks.

21. Washback is includes the effects of an assessment on
teaching and learning prior to the assessment itself, that is, on
preparation for the assessment. Informal performance
assessment is by nature more likely to have built-in washback
effects because the teacher in usually providing interactive
feedback. Formal tests can also have positive washback, but they
provide no washback if the students receive a simple letter grade
or a single overall numerical score.
is the effect of testing on teaching and learning (Hughes,2003)
Washback

22. Applying Principle to the
Evaluation of Classroom Test
4

23. The five principles of practicallity , reliability,
validity, authenticity, and washback go along way
toward providing useful guidelines for both
evaluating and existing assessment procedure and
designing one on our own. Quizes, tests, final
exams, and standardized proficiency test can all be
scrutinized through these five lense.

24. Practicality Checklist :
1. are administrative details clearly established before the test?
2. can students complete the test reasonably within the set time
frame?
3. can the test be administered smoothly, without procedural
“glitches’?
4. are all materials and equipment ready?
5. is the cost of the test within budgeted limits?
6. is the scoring system feasible in the teachers’ time frame?
7. are methods for reporting results determined in advance?
Are the test procedures practical?

25. Test and test administration reliability can be achieved by making
sure that all students receive same quality of input in written and
auditory. Here are some checklists that must be checked in the test
❏ every students has a cleanly photocopied test sheet
❏ sound amplification in clearly audible to everyone in the room
❏ video input is equally visible to all
❏ lighting, temperature, extraneous noise, and other classroom
conditions are equal for all students
❏ objective scoring procedures leave little debate about
correctness of an answer.
Is the test reliable?

26. Does the procedure
demonstrate content
validity?
1. Are classroom objectives
identified and appropriately
framed?
2. Are lesson objectives represented
in the form of test specifications?

27. Is the procedure face valid and
“biased for best”?
1. Directions are clear
2. The structure of the test is organized logically
3. Its difficulty level is appropriate pitched
4. The test has no "surprises"
5. Timing is appropriate
Students will generally judge a test to be face valid if;

28. Is the procedure face valid and
“biased for best”?
1. Offers students appropriate review and preparation for the test.
2. Suggests strategies that will be beneficial,
3. Structures the test so that the best students will be modestly
challenged and the weaker students will not be overwhelmed.
According to swain (1984), to give an assessment procedure
that is "biased for best," a teacher;

29. Are the test task as authentic as
possible?
1. Is the language in the test as natural possible?
2. Are topics and situations interesting, enjoyable, and/or
humorous?
3. Do task represent, or closely approximate, real-world task?
Evaluate the extent to which in a test is authentic by asking the
following questions:

30. Does the test offer beneficial
washback to the learner?
The design of an effective test should point the way to
beneficial washback.

31. • Carry out assessments according to the qualification requirements being
assessed
• attending meetings
• negotiating and agreeing assessment plans
• making best use of different assessment types and methods
• reviewing learner progress
• standardising practice with other assessors
Role and Responsibilities of an Assessor
The main role are about:
Some responsibilities may includes

32. continued
• completing and maintaining records
• giving constructive and developmental feedback to learners
• identifying and dealing with any barriers to fair assessment
• making judgments and decisions based on the assessment requirements
• supporting learners with special assessment requirements
Some responsibilities may includes

33. The role as an assessor will
also be to inspire and motivate
learners. If the assessor
enthusiastic and passionate
about subjects, this will help
to encourage and challenge
learners

34. Reference
● Bown, H. Douglas. (2004). Language assessment: principles and classroom practices.
New york: Pearson Education.
● Brown, H. D. & Abeywickrama, P.（2010）. Language assessment, principles and
classroom practices（2nd ed.）. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
● Gravells, A. (2016). Principles and Practices of Assessment. London Learning Matters
SAGE

35. Thanks!
Any Questions?