TE
ESL 531: Language
L
Asssessment
Fall
F 2014
D
Dates:
D
Day and Tim
me:
L
Location:
IInstructor:
O
Office Hourss:
C
Contact inforrmation:
August 27, 2014 – December 10, 2014
Wedneesdays, 5:30-8:00 pm
WATK
K 114
Sarah Young
Y
M, W, Th 3:00-5:0
00pm and byy appointmennt (MGC 3000)
syoung
g@american
n.edu
O
OVERVIEW
W:
T
The primary goal for thiss course is to
o increase th
he language aassessment lliteracy of alll TESOL
pprofessionalss. Students will
w understaand the proceesses of asseessment in thhe language classroom, iincluding
aan understan
nding of the movement
m
in
n language assessment
a
tooward alternnative (more authentic) ttesting.
W
While learnin
ng the princiiples for evaaluating and structuring aassessments, students will analyze teest types
aand create th
heir own asseessment toolls. Students will also leaarn to designn rubrics. Thhroughout thhe
ccourse, emph
hasis will be placed on acquiring
a
laanguage asseessment term
rminology aand conceptss,
llearning way
ys to integrrate assessm
ment procedu
ures into anyy curriculum, and designning assessm
ment tasks
tthat allow for improved learning.
l
Finally, studen
nts will crittically analyyze case stuudies of lannguage
aassessment dilemmas
d
in
n order to recommend
r
principled ccourses of acction.
C
COURSE OBJECTIVE
O
ES: By the en
nd of this co
ourse, studennts will be abble to…
 Defin
ne and explaain main testiing conceptss including rreliability, vaalidity and w
washback.
 Descrribe assessm
ment tasks an
nd how to utiilize them.
 Evalu
uate tests and
d other assesssment toolss according tto the five prrinciples of llanguage asssessment.
 Desig
gn valid, reliiable assessm
ments approp
priate for speecific learneers in their laanguage learrning
conteext.
 Discu
uss current assessment
a
trrends, includ
ding authentiic testing annd portfolio eevaluation.
 Analy
yze and justiify responses to a variety
y of assessm
ment dilemmaas inherent iin any classrroom
settin
ng.
T
TECHNOLOGY REQU
UIREMENT
TS: You willl need regullar and reliabble access too a computerr with
hhigh-speed In
nternet. In addition to atttending classs, you will llog in to Blaackboard (refferred to as B
Bb on
ssyllabus) on a regular baasis to check for updates and announncements, doownload readdings, and reeview
rrecommendeed resources.. A
ACADEMIC
C INTEGR
RITY: You are
a subject to
o the Academ
mic Integrityy Code of Am
merican Univversity.
P
Please see th
his website fo
or more info
ormation: htttp://www.am
merican.edu/aacademics/inntegrity. All work
yyou submit must
m be yourr own or must be properlly documentted. In addittion, collaboorative work and
w
work already
y submitted in
i other classes must be approved inn advance byy the instructtor.
T
TESL 531 (F
Fall 2014)
1
LIBRARY SUPPORT: For assistance with finding articles or papers in the library databases or
familiarizing yourself with APA style, you are encouraged to contact or make an appointment with
librarian Alex Hodges, at ext. 3845 / Email: hodges@american.edu. Also, AU’s library offers a variety
of on-line tutorials designed to help you with your course projects. For more information on how to get
research help, visit http://www.american.edu/library or
http://subjectguides.library.american.edu/TESOL.
WRITING CENTER: The Writing Center, sponsored by CAS, offers free, one-on-one coaching for all
AU students at any stage of their writing process. Writing consultants focus on supporting the writer
rather than producing a product: they do not prepare papers for students; they prepare students for
papers. Students are encouraged to call for an appointment (ext. 2991)—sessions begin on the hour and
usually last about 45 minutes at Battelle-Tompkins 228. You must have a writing assignment sheet with
you at the time of your appointment. For more information, refer to the site:
http://www.american.edu/cas/writing/index.cfm.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER: The center offers study skills workshops, individual instruction,
tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities. For more information concerning
these services, please contact the ASC at ext. 3360.
TEXTS:
Required:
Brown, H.D. & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices.
White Plains, NY: Pearson, Education. (B&A)
Fulcher, G. (2010). Practical language testing. London, UK: Hodder Education. (FUL)
Suggested:
Bailey, K.M. (1998). Learning about language assessment. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Supplementary materials will be distributed as needed or made available in Blackboard (Bb).
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
 Attendance and active class participation are both key for course success. Active class participation
includes completing all readings before class; bringing insightful comments, brilliant insights, and
incisive questions about the readings and class topic to our discussions; working collaboratively in
group assignments; and engaging your classmates in our professional learning community. Please let
me know in advance if you will be absent from class. You are responsible for all material covered
during any absence.
 Please be considerate of your classmates by arriving on time and silencing cell phones. It is also
considered inappropriate to text or use social media during class time. Such behaviors will
negatively affect your participation grades.
 You are required to complete all assigned readings before class. Assignments have varying due dates
as described below. All work must be submitted by email (unless otherwise stated) to
syoung@american.edu by the due dates established; late work may receive a grade reduction.
Electronic files should be saved using this format: “Assignment (Lastname)”. Please let me know as
soon as possible if you have a problem with an assignment submission. In all of your assignments,
TESL 531 (Fall 2014)
2
make your best effort to incorporate information from the readings, class discussions, and your
TESOL classroom experiences.
ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION: Please submit all assignments via email before class begins.
10%
Class Activities, Discussions, and Homework
10% Assessment Definitions and Concepts Quiz
Utilizing a traditional test format, in this quiz you will demonstrate your knowledge of the five
principles and concepts presented in the first three class sessions.
10% Assessment Critique
In order to apply the knowledge of the principles of language assessment, you will critique a
given assessment. In the critique, you will first analyze the assessment according to each principle (one
paragraph for each principle) and then make recommendations to improve the assessment, justifying
your suggestions. The critique will be a total of 4-5 pages (double-spaced).
10% Assessment Task Design (receptive skill)
For this assignment, working with a partner you will create an assessment task to evaluate students’
receptive skills (listening or reading). Group A will write a sample assessment task for the skill of
listening (due 10/1) while Group B will write a sample assessment task for the skill of reading (due
10/8). The sample assessment should be accompanied by an explanatory commentary of 2-3 doublespaced pages, including a clear definition of the target audience (learner or group of learners for whom it
is intended), explanation and justification of how the assessment task was written, evaluation of the
assessment according to the five principles, and a reflection on the limitations of the assessment as
written. The sample assessments will be discussed and evaluated in class. With your partner, bring a
total of two hard copies of the sample assessment to class.
20% Rubric Design (productive skill)
Working with a partner, you will choose or design a rubric to accompany a sample productive
skill assessment task (writing or speaking) that you also design, write, and pilot. The sample
assessment and rubric should be accompanied by an explanatory commentary of 4-5 double-spaced
pages, including a clear definition of the target audience (learner or group of learners for whom it is
intended), explanation and justification of how the assessment and rubric were written, evaluation
of the assessment and rubric according to the five principles, how the assessment and rubric were
piloted and the results of the piloting, and a reflection on how the assessment and rubric could be
improved. Note: The sample assessments and rubrics will be discussed and peer-evaluated in class prior
to piloting (on October 29). Bring two hard copies (1 per partner) of the sample assessment and rubric
to class that day.
15% Assessment Investigation
After identifying an area of assessment that you are interested in exploring further, write a 6-8 page
(double-spaced) report drawing upon recent relevant literature on the topic (7-10 sources) and
identifying the current state of the field. Include in your conclusion how the information you learned
impacts you as an ESL/EFL teacher. The TESOL Program Style Sheet for documenting and referencing
sources must be followed (APA style).
TESL 531 (Fall 2014)
3
25% Final Assessment Project
For this assignment, there will be two parts.
 Assessment Plan (10%): You will receive a classroom-based assessment scenario for which you
will decide upon an appropriate assessment plan (3-4 double-spaced pages). The assessment plan
will include a written explanation and justification of the assessment tool(s) you have chosen to
utilize, and a discussion of the dilemmas that arose in your decision-making processes, and a
reflection on the possible outcomes (including difficulties) of implementing your assessment
plan.
 Assessment Tool (15%): Utilizing the knowledge you have gained throughout the course,
write or choose the assessment tool(s) you outline in your Assessment Plan and pilot the tool.
Write an explanatory commentary of 3-4 double-spaced pages which reiterates and expands the
explanation and justification of how the assessment was written, explains how the assessment
was piloted and the results of the piloting, evaluates the assessment tool according to the five
principles, and reflects on how the assessment could be improved. Make sure you answer the
question: How would your assessment plan change now that you have written and piloted the
assessment tool(s)?
KEY DATES:
 9/17/14: Assessment Definitions and Concepts Quiz
 9/24/14: Assessment Critique due
 10/1/14: Assessment Task Design due (Group A)
 10/8/14: Assessment Task Design due (Group B)
 10/29/14: Draft Rubric due (bring to class)
 11/12/14: Rubric Design due
 11/26/14: No class; Assessment Plan due
 12/10/14: Assessment Tool due
TESL 531 (Fall 2014)
4
TESL 545 Course Schedule
Week
Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Date
8/27
9/3
9/10
9/17
Topics/
Activities
Intro: The role of
assessment in the
language
classroom
Readings (done before
that day’s class)
B&A, Ch. 1
FUL Ch. 1
Explore Fulcher’s website:
http://languagetesting.info/
(especially
http://languagetesting.info/
whatis/lt.html )
Assignments due (for that day’s
class)
Key concepts
and principles of
language
assessment
B&A Ch. 2
FUL Ch. 3
Bailey Ch. 3 (Bb)
Bring to class an example of a
language assessment that you have
created, used, or experienced. Write
and submit a paragraph describing
it in terms of the assessment
concepts and terminology you’ve
learned so far.
Assessment
design (I)
Alternative
assessment
B&A Ch. 3, 6
Create a brief assessment
O’Malley & Valdez-Pierce, to assess your classmates’
Ch. 2 (Bb)
knowledge of the first two class
periods. Bring 2 copies to class.
Assessment
design (II)
FUL Ch. 4, 5
Brown (2005) (Bb)
Definitions and concepts quiz
(prepare for the quiz)
Assessing
listening
B&A Ch. 7
Coombe et al (2007) (Bb)
http://languagetesting.info/
video/main.html (#8)
Assessment critique
Assessing
reading
B&A Ch. 9
Assessment task design
Cohen (1994) (Bb)
(Group A)
O’Malley & Valdez-Pierce,
Ch. 5 (Bb)
http://languagetesting.info/
video/main.html (#6)
Cultural and
ethical issues of
assessment
Rubrics
B&A Ch. 6 (review)
Abedi (2011) (Bb)
Bailey Ch. 4 (Bb)
Garcia & Kleifgen (2010)
(Bb)
9/24
10/1
10/8
TESL 531 (Fall 2014)
Assessment task design
(Group B)
5
Week
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Date
10/15
Topics/
Activities
Assessing
writing
Academic
language
assessment
Assessing
speaking
Readings (done before
that day’s class)
B&A Ch. 10
Bailey Ch. 12 (Bb)
Gotlieb Ch. 2 (Bb)
Assessing
grammar and
vocabulary
Piloting an
assessment
B&A Ch. 11
FUL Ch. 6
http://languagetesting.info/
video/main.html (#10)
Standards
Standardized
testing
B&A Ch. 4, 5
FUL Ch. 8
Lippi-Green (1997) (Bb)
Assessing young
learners
Goetlieb Ch. 1 (Bb)
Brown (1991) (Bb)
Brown (1992) (Bb)
(optional)
10/22
10/29
11/5
11/12
Statistics as a
foreign language
Scoring and
grading
Wk 13
Wk 14
11/19
Assignments due (for that day’s
class)
B&A Ch. 8
Bailey Ch. 11 (BB)
http://languagetesting.info/
video/main.html (#9)
Peer evaluation of rubric
design (bring 2 copies to
class)
Rubric design
B&A Ch. 12
FUL Ch. 7
Winger (2009) (Bb)
On-going
assessment
planning
No class – Thanksgiving Holiday
DUE: Assessment Plan
12/3
Wk 15
12/10
Self-assessment
Test
administration
Teaching testtaking strategies
Class wrap-up
FUL Ch. 9, 10
Assessment investigation
Assessment tool
Wk 16
TESL 531 (Fall 2014)
6