TY - CONF

T1 - Language testing and modern tendencies in the assessment of foreign language learning outcomes

T2 - Linguistics, Language Teaching and Intercultural Communication: Theory and Practice, dedicated to the memory of Irina Tzaturova (LLTIC 2017). Proceedings of IV International Conference. – Taganrog: SFedU

AU - Большакова, Ирина Георгиевна

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Traditional assessment in education is often considered as some specific control procedure at the end of course studying which is separated from the learning process and is supposed to be necessary for students to go through before they are able to receive educational certificates. However, nowadays there is a powerful tendency to reinforce the connection between control and assessment and define the aims of learning in terms of measurable results. The process of assessment therefore changes its nature and includes teaching and developing functions as well as control and evaluation. In the past two decades, significant modification has taken place in the way of control methods in education, which has led to the replacement of behaviorist evaluation model with cognitive one. Accordingly, the psychometric approach in language testing is currently being substituted with innovative approaches that are moving away from norm-referenced to criterion-referenced assessment, from multiple-choice tests to performance tests that require human judgement, and from facts and algorithms knowledge priority to metacognition, higher-order cognitive skills and creativity. Due to a great deal of constructive criticism about limitations of quantitative methods in educational control, there is at present a mixed methodology in language testing which is built on the combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Probably for the language testers and educational policy makers the most optimal solution to the problem of interrelation between traditional and innovative assessment is the use of testing not only as a means of control but also as a means of students learning and development.

AB - Traditional assessment in education is often considered as some specific control procedure at the end of course studying which is separated from the learning process and is supposed to be necessary for students to go through before they are able to receive educational certificates. However, nowadays there is a powerful tendency to reinforce the connection between control and assessment and define the aims of learning in terms of measurable results. The process of assessment therefore changes its nature and includes teaching and developing functions as well as control and evaluation. In the past two decades, significant modification has taken place in the way of control methods in education, which has led to the replacement of behaviorist evaluation model with cognitive one. Accordingly, the psychometric approach in language testing is currently being substituted with innovative approaches that are moving away from norm-referenced to criterion-referenced assessment, from multiple-choice tests to performance tests that require human judgement, and from facts and algorithms knowledge priority to metacognition, higher-order cognitive skills and creativity. Due to a great deal of constructive criticism about limitations of quantitative methods in educational control, there is at present a mixed methodology in language testing which is built on the combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Probably for the language testers and educational policy makers the most optimal solution to the problem of interrelation between traditional and innovative assessment is the use of testing not only as a means of control but also as a means of students learning and development.

M3 - Abstract

SP - 83

ER -