BREAKING NEWS! It is no longer just a romantic notion. Using computers for assessments benefits students more than the traditional paper-and-pencil method (Li 2006). Jiang Li, who conducted a study on how computers affect student performance on tests, found that computers positively impact test-taking for ESL students. Students who took a test using a word-processing program in a writing assessment scored higher than their counterparts who only used paper and pencils. Therefore his article implies that teachers should seriously consider using technology in tests.
When I saw the presentations yesterday, I was very much inspired by Julie Ancheta's use of a very innovative online assessment program, Testing Revolution. I like how she created another dimension to the testing experience, such as using videos and photos as comprehensible input for the language of the test and using the wording "survey" instead of "test" in order to make a less intimidating atmosphere. I would use this wording for formative assessments only though, rather than summative.
As for my presentation, you can check it out through this Emaze link: Listening and Speaking. The focus of my presentation is to assess listening and speaking skills. The first site, English Listening, is geared towards ELLs and offers a wide range of audio recordings to tests beginning to advanced students. The recordings are also paired with listening comprehension questions. What I like about this site is that it is quite easy to navigate through and gives the opportunities to choose a test according to the student's level, accents he/she would want to listen to, and the topics of his/her preference. I also like that the recordings sound like they are from authentic situations.
The other site that I presented, which Dr. Cyrus liked better, is Englishteststore.net. The really fascinating about this site is that it can assess the pronunciation via the computer microphone. It adds another dimension with the interaction with a computer program. This site also assesses listening skills.
I believe that both of these sites are very practical and can help my students in my ESL Sheltered class. I would use these online program to supplement and develop English listening and speaking skills, especially because LAS (Language Assessment Scale), which incoming ESL students have to take to determine whether they will be under ESL Consultation or the Sheltered program, are assesses on these skills.
Commitments that I would make for next school year is to incorporate computers more as an effective tool in assessments, and to be more pro-active in taking advantage of the plethora of resources online. Technology is proven to beneficial and offer students a more interactive experience, immediate feedback, and efficacy in test-taking, and many test programs give teachers with more efficient ways of assessing a variety of skills. Times have changed greatly in the world of education, and new technologies have also improved how students are learning and therefore, how they should be assessed, especially in our Digital Age (JISC 2010).
References:
JISC. (2010). Effective assessment in a digital age: A guide to technology-enhanced assessment and feedback. Retrieved from http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140614115719/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearning/digiassass_eada.pdf.
Li, J. (2006). The mediation of technology in ESL writing and its implications for writing assessment. Assessing Writing, 11(1), 5–21.
Image:
Boy and computer: http://www.time4writing.com/images/kidsnewer/boy-computer.jpg.
Hi:
ReplyDeleteI, too, was trained with the same belief that listening is a very, very important English language learning experience.
-j-