There is a grand difference
between tests and portfolios for assessment.
Tests have been the go-to type
of assessment type for much of history. From pop quizzes to exams and
standardized testing they have been a way that draws strong conclusions for
mass amounts of students. Some good things associated with stereotypical tests
is just that, the ability it has to evaluate many students at a time. Tests can
be a good way of judging particular information that was taught in a class.
Students also know that the test generally covers what is talked about in class
and so it can direct their studying. Another good thing could be that it “gives
governments information on the education system in order to improve areas that
are lacking” ("Pros & Cons of Standardized Tests", 2016). This
way there can be an easy comparison between schools and school systems. It is a
lot quicker to review where the greatest needs are.
Some not so good things about
tests include they are often reliant upon memorization. I have written
countless tests in my life where I walked into the room saying over and over
things, I know I should know and then leaving the room with no information in
my mind whatsoever. If you aren’t good at memorization tests are very hard.
They also provide dramatic pressure on students, as often tests have a
high-grade weightiness. Another downfall of tests is that they have a limited
scope of the evaluation. Creativity, social skills or collaboration skills are all
not seen through basic tests.
Portfolios are collections of
student’s works over a course period. They include a variety of different types
of work that demonstrate a student’s competence. Some merits about portfolios
are that they can give a teacher a good idea what knowledge the student started
with to where they are now. “Identifying weaknesses allows the student to focus
on specific areas and seek effective measures to progress” ("The Pros and
Cons of Assessing Students through Portfolios"). Along with that, it gives room for teachers
to give personal feedback in order to direct their students well. It gives
students opportunities to show their knowledge in ways they both are familiar
with and unfamiliar.
Some demerits about portfolios
are that they take a lot of work from the teacher, to facilitate, monitor,
evaluate and give feedback. “The creation of portfolios in itself is
time-consuming and requires utmost dedication and discipline to carry out”
("The Pros and Cons of Assessing Students through Portfolios").
Another downfall is that portfolios have often been associated with children,
despite their effectiveness for adults as well. When using portfolios make sure
to explain to adult learners the purpose and pros of this type of assessment.
I prefer the portfolio-based
language assessment overall. I believe this type of assessment is most
effective in giving teachers an idea of what a student truly knows and can
skillfully do. However, if I would have an enormous class of students, I think
I would tend to lean toward a standardized test, mostly for the simplicity of
it. I would include some portfolio type assignments throughout the course in
order to not put so much grade pressure on the tests while still allowing
students to be creative and collaborative.
Bibliography
Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by
principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (Fourth ed.). White
Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Pros & Cons of Standardized Tests. (2016, September
23). Retrieved November 1, 2018, from https://www.oxfordlearning.com/pros-cons-of-standardized-tests/
The Pros and Cons of Assessing Students through
Portfolios. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2018, from http://www.teach-nology.com/litined/assessment/alternative/portfolios/
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