Involving Learners in Assessment for Learning : An interpretation of Interactive Assessment

Involving Learners in Assessment for Learning : An interpretation of Interactive Assessment

Involving learners in assessment is a conscious, organised decision which represents a paradigm shift in second language assessing practices and in ways that a curriculum is delivered to create optimal learning opportunities for learners. This decision does not always align with an established culture of assessment of learning (summative assessment) as practised in many international, educational, and EFL/ESL contexts. A more ideal model of assessment for learning in which learners are directly informed of how they will be assessed from the outset, are involved in feedback, feedforward and evaluation at every level can be an effective learning pedagogy in itself. Committing to assessment for learning by implementing established best practices and behaviours in teaching and learning, and by integrating a workable model in the curriculum, is achievable.

(Yildirim and Lavender,2012)

Interactive Assessment

Hamp Lyons & Tavares (2008) define interactive assessment as,

a very clear and carefully developed system of assessment for learning which emphasises formative uses of an eventual summative assessment: Teachers engage students with thinking about their learning during the assessment process; assessment is one stage of the teaching, learning and assessing cycle in the classroom; every assessment is therefore for feedforward as well as for feedback?

Their work has concentrated on the intervention of the teacher-assessor through scaffolding while the spoken assessment is taking place so that the learners are supported during the assessment and in their learning. The intervention or interaction ?stimulates and challenges? the learners to produce discourse higher than their actual ability (Hamp Lyons & Tavares, 2008). Therefore, interactive assessment, in this sense, is when the teacher can meet the needs of the learner, (especially) during a speaking ?assessment? task through interaction with the learner, i.e., scaffolding, guiding questions, additional questions, wait-time, back-channelling and other strategic interaction to use the assessment itself as a tool for learning and to ensure students are producing the language they are capable of (Hamp Lyons & Davidson, n.d.). This is based on Vygotsky?s theory of the ?zone of proximal development? (ZPD) where learning takes place in the ?zone?, which is above the knowledge and skill level of the learner at that current time. Vygotsky?s concepts of the ZPD also include,

-the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help,

-the learner following an adult?s example, gradually developing the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance,

-the learner?s development being determined by social interaction and collaborative problem-solving. (1978)

In our context, however, we see interactive assessment as having four distinct layers.

The first level resembles that of Hamp-Lyons and Tavares? interactive assessment description; response to/from the teacher and learner, and with peers (in our context) at any stage of the assessment.

The second involves the learners at both a cognitive and meta-cognitive level, creating opportunities for the learners to think about, talk about, ask and answer questions about, and reflect on, their role and involvement in the formative assessment process. This happens when the learners are part of feedback at the pre-, during and post-feedback stage, i.e. involving the learners in planning, discussing, reflecting and deciding what is understood by the AfL process. An example of this is through questionnaires and reflection tools. One such tool in our model is the use of a peer evaluation questionnaire to gauge our learners? views about peer evaluation on writing before it takes place, and then immediately afterwards using the same prompts. Another tool is the use of a preferred feedback type and medium handout before any response is given to 2nd draft writing. Our learners have the opportunity to choose the type of feedback and in the medium they prefer ? hardcopy, softcopy, audio-video, or audio. These two tools are examples of what we consider to be part of interactive assessment.

The third layer is about empowerment, growth and choice; giving freedom to the learners about how their assessment for learning is going to happen and with whom.

The fourth layer, professional growth, is related to our context and the fact that our learners are going to be teachers of the future. Providing them with the opportunity to engage in formative assessment experientially as learners can help them develop their own principles about AfL for when they are teachers.