technology-mediated assessment: documenting learners' progress carl falsgraf center for applied...

Technology-mediated Assessment: Documenting Learners' Progress

Carl FalsgrafCenter for Applied Second Language Studies

University of Oregonfalsgraf@uoregon.edu

The Ecology of Assessment

Falsgraf, C. (2009). The Ecology of Assessment. Language Teaching. 42:4. 491-503.

Statement of Intended Test Use (Norris, 2006)

Why What is the purpose?

Who Who will be tested?

What What content and format will be used?

For Whom Who is the audience?

An Assessment EcosystemWHO

FOR WHOM

WHAT

WHY

INTENDED USE

PlacementGradesMastery check

ChildrenIncoming froshAirline pilots

TeacherParentsAdmissions staff

GrammarProficiencyFluency

WHY: Check mastery/ assign gradeWHO: StudentsWHAT: Entire course curriculumFOR WHOM: Teacher

WHO AM I?

ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEWWHY:

WHO:

WHAT:

FOR WHOM:

YOUR ASSESSMENT

WHY:WHOWHAT:FOR WHOM:

Your assessment systemWHY:

WHO:

WHAT:

FOR WHOM:

Another WhyASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

“Assessment Manifesto” Stiggins (2008)Effective classroom assessment improves student performance .5~1.0 standard deviations. (Black & Wiliam, 1998)Goal setting using LinguaFolio improves student performance (Moeller, forthcoming)

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNINGFrom auditing to informingFrom extrinsic to intrinsic focusFrom teacher control to learner control

How Can This Be?Daniel Pink DriveWhat motivates people?

Not carrots and sticks *

Autonomy, mastery, purpose

www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

Proficiency, Motivation, and Enrollments

CanDo LearningWhy? To improve

learning

Who? Learners

For whom? Learners

What? Portfolio of goals/evidence

LinguaFolio and CanDo learning• The tool is not the approach

• The approach does not require the tool

• The tool facilitates the approach

Passport

CanDo Checklist

AL interpersonalNH writing

Modest Proposals1. A balanced assessment system can improve

student performance.2. Extrinsic rewards (grades) can induce diligence, but

not creative language use.3. Intrinsic rewards (autonomy, mastery, purpose) can

improve proficiency, retention, and enrollments.4. CanDo learning is a pedagogically sound way of

providing intrinsic rewards. 5. LinguaFolio Online is a practical tool that can

facilitate Can Do learning.

Carl FalsgrafCenter for Applied Second Language Studies

University of Oregonfalsgraf@uoregon.edu