subjective assessment

Summary

This video covers the key aspects of language testing, focusing on subjective tests (writing and speaking) and how they are assessed. The speaker explains the difference between subjective and objective tests, detailing how subjective tests require rubrics to ensure consistent and fair scoring. Rubrics for both speaking and writing are explained, highlighting essential assessment criteria like fluency, accuracy, comprehension for speaking, and content, organization, grammar, diction, and mechanics for writing. The importance of using expert-established rubrics is emphasized, with references to authoritative sources like Brown and Oshima for accurate assessment standards.

Takeaways

• 😀 Subjective tests assess language skills like writing and speaking, where performance quality is key, rather than correct or incorrect answers.
• 😀 Objective tests, such as reading and listening, typically have clear right or wrong answers, often in formats like multiple choice.
• 😀 Speaking assessments are based on fluency (ease and pauses in speech), accuracy (pronunciation, grammar), and comprehension (how well the student responds to the topic).
• 😀 Writing assessments evaluate content and ideas, paragraph organization, grammar (syntax), diction (word choice), and mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization).
• 😀 Rubrics are essential for subjective assessments, as they provide a standardized guide for scoring and reduce subjectivity in evaluation.
• 😀 Speaking rubrics usually contain multiple bands (levels) that describe performance from authoritative, fluent speech to less proficient responses.
• 😀 Writing rubrics, like speaking rubrics, also use bands to score different aspects, such as content, structure, and grammatical accuracy.
• 😀 It is advised to use rubrics from expert-established resources, rather than creating your own, to ensure accuracy and consistency in assessments.
• 😀 Examples of trusted resources for writing rubrics include books by Oshima, Boardman, and Friedenberg, while speaking rubrics can be taken from Brown's work.
• 😀 The importance of using expert-established rubrics lies in their detailed descriptions, which help in fairer and more objective scoring of subjective assessments.
• 😀 Subjective assessments, while harder to score than objective tests, provide deeper insights into a student's language proficiency through their performance.

Q & A

What are the two classifications of language tests mentioned in the transcript?

The two classifications of language tests are subjective tests and objective tests.

Which language skills are assessed using subjective tests?

Subjective tests assess writing and speaking skills.

Why are writing and speaking considered subjective tests?

Writing and speaking are considered subjective tests because there are no 'correct' or 'incorrect' answers like in objective tests. The assessment is based on the quality of the student's performance.

How is writing typically assessed in a subjective test?

Writing is typically assessed by asking students to write a paragraph or an essay, and the score depends on the quality of the writing, such as coherence, organization, and clarity.

How is speaking typically assessed in a subjective test?

Speaking is assessed through activities like interviews or discussions, where students are scored based on their fluency, accuracy, and overall performance on a given topic.

What are some characteristics of objective tests?

Objective tests, such as reading and listening, often use multiple-choice questions, where each question has one correct answer, making the scoring straightforward and based on correctness.

What is the role of rubrics in subjective assessments?

Rubrics serve to reduce subjectivity in scoring by providing clear criteria for different levels of performance. They outline what is expected for each level of scoring and ensure consistent and fair assessment.

What aspects are typically assessed in a speaking rubric?

A speaking rubric typically assesses fluency, accuracy (including pronunciation, intonation, diction, and grammar), and comprehension (how well the student understands and responds to the topic).

What are the key aspects evaluated in a writing rubric?

In a writing rubric, the key aspects evaluated are content and ideas, paragraph organization, syntax or grammar, diction or word choice, and mechanics (punctuation, spelling, and capitalization).

Why is it recommended to use established rubrics rather than creating your own?

It is recommended to use established rubrics from experts because creating your own requires deep competence and expertise. Established rubrics ensure a standardized, reliable, and fair approach to assessment.