This document analyzes two online performance-based assessment instruments according to principles of assessment. It summarizes Lyricstraining, a site for L2 music listening practice that assesses pronunciation and vocabulary through song transcription and karaoke. It fulfills validity, practicality, authenticity, reliability, transparency, and security. The document also summarizes Zunal, a site for creating Webquests that develops autonomy and language skills. Zunal fulfills practicality, authenticity, validity, and reliability according to principles of assessment.

1. Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción
Faculty of Education
Language Department
Language Assessment
Unit 4
Online performance based
assessment instrument
Nicolás González
Diego Paredes Cid
Professor
Andrés Hunter
Concepción, July 28th

2. Introduction
The purpose of this job is to analyze two online performance-based assessment
instruments according to the principles of assessment. The work is separated in two
parts and each one in three. Each one corresponds to an aspect of examination of
the online resources.

3. Lyricstraining
Tool's description:
This is a site with L2 songs, in which the learner can listen and transcribe them.
Here are four different levels of difficulty. It is very popular because allows you to
do language work through songs. It has several features in different languages and
it is very interactive. Besides, If someone wish to keep a track of his/her progress
may create a free account.
Choice support:
We decided to evaluate this instrument because seems to be truly enjoyable, the
learner can listen to their favorite artist's songs that he/she would like. Also it
promotes authentic learning because videos and songs are current and interesting
for them. In addition, it is easy for learners to use this application. As it has two
sections, one is for karaoke, in which the learner has to sing the song in order to
complete it, where the pronunciation has an important role. On the contrary, the
other section the learner has to complete the lyrics of the song previously selected.
Each section has a score according to the learner´s performance.
Analysis:
According to the principles of assessment this application fulfills the requirements
of Validity, because Lyricstraining is, according to Gronlund (1998:26), appropriate,
meaningful and useful in terms of the purpose of assessment. Besides, in terms of
content validity, this application assess directly the necessary skill, in this case
pronunciation and vocabulary. In addition the instrument accomplishes the
requirements of practicality. Because, it is not expensive for the teacher to
administer it, it does not demand lot of time to check the answers, for it provides

4. automatically the score at the end of the song or of the session. In terms of
authenticity, the songs contain language that are currently been used in the real
world context, also learners can reply the language that is used in a certain song
outside the classroom. According to the information and results provided by the
webpage, the application completes the requirements of Reliability. The majority of
users get same scores in the same sections and levels of difficulties. Also, in terms
of Transparency the web page is secure by an encryption mode, so the test taker
and students can keep their personal information safe and be focused only in
perform effectively. That fits also with other principle of assessment, which is
Security. Teachers could recycle and reuse the webpage every time they want and
keep information in the webpage secure and for future analysis.
( Practice L2 music listening skills through videos on this site).

5. Zunal
Tool's description:
This is a site, in which learners can create and develop a Webquest. The teacher
provides students some ideas and examples of what they will have to do, in this
case a project. Learners can develop different skills, for instance; writing skills by
using different tenses or new vocabulary provided by the teacher, or acquired
through the process. Besides, students by creating a Webquest usually have
expone it to the class. Therefore, they have to be extremely careful about the
grammar that they are using, and also put emphasis in the new vocabulary which
they are going to present to their classmates.
Choice support:
We decided to assess this instrument for the reason that it helps learners to
develop their autonomy by analysing the information that they will use to produce a
Webquest. Moreover, as it is not difficult to use for learners, it is also easy to use in
order to assess the process. This webpage promotes authentic learning for
students by the creation of original artifacts and activities, additionally; as the
information needs to be analyzed learners have to choose it by using their critical
thinking. Therefore they can provide a valuable solution for a contextualized
problem.
Analysis:
This online resource fulfills the requirements of Practicality. Zunal is very easy to
use; the webpage has instructions in every section of the webquest. Also, for a
teacher is less time consuming because in the page he can monitor the process
and grade it without spending money in photocopies or printing. Also, the principle

6. of Authenticity is present in this page. Webquest are created for developing higher-
order thinking skills, so is a must to use real life language at the moment of use
Zunal. The language that students are going to learn will be very useful for them
daily life. In terms of Validity, Zunal promotes functional activities for students in
terms of the purpose of the assessment. According to the principle of Reliability,
teachers must develop an explicit rubric to evaluate the process and final product.
In this way, students will know what the assessment is going to be about, and if
they follow the steps carefully the results will be very similar. In relation to the
words of Coombe et al (2007), “… usefulness requires that any language test must
be developed with a specific purpose, a particular group of test-takers and a
specific language use in mind”, Zunal accomplish these requirements.

7. References
Coombe, Folse, Hubley. A practical guide to assessing English language learners.
2007.
Gronlund, N. E. (1998). Assessment of Student Achievement, 7th ed., Boston:
Allyn and Bacon