Norris’ article “Purposeful
Language Assessment: Selecting the Right Alternative Test” (2000) rightfully
raises the question that every language teacher should ask when choosing an
evaluative tool: “whether the classic
language tests are actually doing what they supposed to be doing”. It is not that the good old pen and paper multiple choice, fill-gap,
matching, true/false, essay exams and oral interviews have been expired their
potential and have to be discarded with despise by the digital natives. These
still remain valid quantifiers and measurement tools of diagnosis and prognosis
(evaluation and planning strategies). The author carefully decrypts the meaning
of the table which graphically represents the aspects to be considered when we
are proceeding to testing - the Intended test use: (Who-
test users; What- test information; Why- test purpose; Impact – test
consequences). This I would qualify as a golden quadra for testing and evaluation in general
and that would not ever discredit itself or loose from its value.
With
the advent of technologies and extensive web resources use in education the
alternative methods of evaluation such as “portfolios, self-and peer-assessment, conferencing, diaries and learning
logs, and teacher checklists and observations” (quote from Short 1993), the author John Norris feels the need
of refocusing on the fundamental essence of testing and its indispensable
elements so as not get strayed, not to digress from the basic function, so as
to always check the pulse in the process of learning when we are undertaking
some PBL in particular.
The
WebQuests and PBL that we studied this week have conquered, fascinated us all
without exception, I have seen on the learning platform Nicenet; these are
challenging, because new approach, daring, but also demanding, requiring a high
level of knowledge and responsibility; no wonder the evaluation topic was
annexed namely here, for us to always keep in sight and mind when we proceed.
So do the strictly elaborated rubrics according to standardized criteria and
checklists are intended to do namely this job of demystifying the grin that web
& technology enhanced CLASSES type of learning is a game, just like the
student autonomy in these projects is absolute.
Certainly
this is a thinking and learning outside the box - the four institutional walls
- where basically all the language learning happens, it is insisting on a
review at home, purpose-orienting an activity that they like and do all the
time surfing the net, making them click one step further to create awareness
and describe, analyze in words and construed sentences the discovery: their
feelings, attitudes, ideas, content that they have been faced with, according
to a well elaborated plan by the patron of the game – the language teacher this
time.
The
social networks and the mega speedy real-time Tweetertype reactions have dumbed
down language and compressed all emotions, attitudes, analysis and commentary
into a gracious thumb up “like”, more recently the innovative add-up – a thumb
down for disapproval; or more extravagantly - an exotic wide gaped lol,
selected from packed and freely distributed apps with
emoticons – emotion icons! Blogs would represent not high-pitched shrieks with
tens of exclamation marks and sprinkled with wide smile-faces “posts”; how
emotional, how sensitive, how intellectual an exchange and delivery of
information! Blogs mean peer-review – relevant commentary, that daddy who
bought the expensive chic gadget and position and the freeware smile would not
do for them – express in human language, be a team member, contribute with her
own brains, decode, and analyze. This is not the brute force slap, hack, rob,
blackout of the PC to win a cockroaches race.
We
are obliged to learn to smile as well in a human, reasonable, communicative
way.
Remind
that fairy-tales princess that obliged her father the
king to organize a matching force contest in telling funny adventures and
anecdotes, mimicking and gesturing, playing the fool so as to make the
depressed Princess smile - is not the pedagogue’s case. The king had to promise
the courageous suitors who turned out there to let the winner marry his daughter
and inherit the kingdom for a princess’ smile, the highest achievement expected
from competitors performance.
In
PBL both the teachers and students work hard in the process of creative
learning. The process of discovery and anticipation is an on-going
process. I have just started a WebQuest and realized this megaportfolio requires a lot of investigation, time
invested, but I realized I need it not only for one group but for all my groups
(the institutional Moodle is another perk that does not function, nobody uses
it for posting courses or labworks or anything else); the blogs assignment requires technical
knowledge as well at all stages, now I had to create a wiki page and a wiki
class in wikispaces.com. I am not sure how it
is going to work in practice, but I am eager to apply and test, learn more.
This mini platform would host all the other tasks and process of performance.
My WEEK a turbulent one!
A Padlet
for Clothes Design group.
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