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| 2019年度 異文化言語教育評価論 |
CH3
Introducing a New Assessment of Spoken Proficiency: Interact
(part 2: 3.3-3.5)
Review:
Part 1: brief account of the events
that preceded the introduction of New Zealand’s high-stakes assessment
system, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), and what
the new assessment system was designed to accomplish.
Part 2: a detailed account of changes
to assessment practices and how
these changes influenced FL assessments and stakeholders.
Part 3.3 Towards a Learner-Centered
Model for High-Stakes Assessment
·
2007
– came out a revised curriculum for NZ schools that meant to embrace a
sociocultural view of teaching and learning that prioritized student-focused
learning and 5 competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts;
managing self, relating to others; and participating and contributing.
·
the
new curriculum allowed to adress 2 problems: 1) an old learning area “Language
and Languages” was transformed into new learning area “Learning Languages” that
separated learning of the 1st language vs. additional languages and
gave space to new curriculums; 2) a move away from grammar-translation methods,
and towards learner-centered experiential pedagogical approach, with the focus
on task-based language teaching and a general sociocultural approach of
interactive learning
·
In
other words, the curriculum requirements were to shift from teacher-led and
more prescriptive, to a student-centered and more open-ended task based
approach.
·
The
new focus also required a revised NCEA.
·
To
write the revised curriculum, subject teachers were invited and put into panels
(groups of experts), in order to design the “standards”. The writers then would
be able to write valid and reliable assessment tasks based on these
“standards”. The new tests had to be aligned with curriculum and offer valid
and reliable assessment, that was also
reasonable in difficulty, and was able to show the difference between the
levels “achieved”, “achieved with merit”, and “achieved with excellence”.
Part 3.4 Revising the Assessments
for Languages
·
The
NZ Association of Language Teachers (NZALT) were invited to work on assessment
review, and they became known as the Standards-Curriculum Alignment Languages Experts (SCALEs) project.
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2008:
1st SCALES meeting |
Task:
to examine all current standards, and align them with the revised curriculum |
Outcome:
created revised assessment matrix with focus on holistic purpose rather than
specific skill |
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·
Names of standards were changed: ·
Removed
external writing standard, kept internal prepared talk
standard, reshaped internal converse
and write to promote on-going collection of examples of real-life
interaction ·
Converse standard was changed
to interact. Interact standard – extra
attention. Previously, for converse standard, students were expected
to be able to converse in less familiar situations, but also had to study
from prescribed materials, which resulted in little flexibility, memorized
scripts, and negative washback. New interact standard encouraged
students to record spontaneous conversations during the year, to be better
prepared for unrehearsed genuine interaction. Unfortunately, feedback to new
matrix was negative and reactionary. |
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2009:
2nd SCALES meeting |
Problem:
negative reaction from teachers, due to extra work and lack of clarity
regarding interact evaluation |
Outcome:
new draft of assessment matrix for NCEA levels 1-3, and draft for standards
1. |
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·
Interact – was given lower (5)
credit value ·
Feedback
from teachers was encouraged and supported However, SCALEs reviewed proposal
wasn’t realized until 2010, and it a different form. SCALEs project was
recognized as expensive, time consuming, and lacked cross-subject discussion.
(New meeting in 2010 involved a 5-day meeting with cross-subject interaction
broader group of stakeholders). |
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2010 |
Task:
to revise NCEA 1-3 matrises and level 3 standards. Language group focused on
NCEA 1-3 |
Outcome:
draft of standards level 2(2010) and 3 (2011) and assessment matrixes were
released, trials were completed. |
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·
Interact – received 6 credit
value again (but only at NCEA level 3) ·
Teachers
would receive clearer instructions on how to prepare students for interact. |
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2011 |
·
Assessment
matrix and standards were made available on NZQA website ·
Support
resources were made available to teachers (senior secondary guidelines for
curriculum, examples of internal standards, workshops with real samples of
student work) |
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Conclusion
The
purpose of this chapter was to set the scene for New Zealand’s most recent
assessment reform with regard to assessing FL students’ spoken communicative
proficiency (the move from static single interview to on-going paired
assessments).
Interact, as the main focus of the assessment strategy,
encourages peer-collaboration, feedback, and positive washback. But the
teachers are an integral part to the implementation of interact.
Discussion
1.
Have
you experienced an assessment transition on a national level in your country? How
long did it take, and was it worth it?
2.
What
changes do you think teachers had to make in the classroom to shift from
teacher-focused converse patterns to student-focused interact
assignments?
NZCF – New Zealand Curriculum Framework (published in
1993)
NCEA – National Certificate of Educational Achievement
(came as a result of NZCF)
NZALT - NZ Association of Language Teachers (who were
formed into SCALEs)
SCALEs - Standards-Curriculum Alignment Languages Experts project