Making effective assessment in language learning for students is very important, because it will determine the students’ ability in using the language itself. Teachers have to consider the principle to make effective assessment before making it. Here are 4 principles of classroom assessment and evaluation.
First, assessment has to be suitable with the purposes that have been planned. According to Broadfoot (1987), there are three main purposes in giving assessment, such as to give feedback and to motivate learners, to prove quality of learner’s competence, and to show the validity of school’s achievement. Moreover, the teachers also have to make the assessment relate to what knowledge that students have and what knowledge students need to have, so that the assessment will have good effect to the students.
Second, assessment task has clear statement about what ability that is assessed and obviously connects to the learning outcomes. In giving assessment in classroom, the first thing that teacher has to do is describing the assessment itself in statement. The description is about the ability that wants to be assessed. Teacher has to identify the components of the ability, called construct. Then, describe the task that will be used in assessing the students. The important thing in giving the assessment in classroom is connecting it to the course. The assessment must relate to what students have learnt in classroom. Moreover, teacher has to create task that students can demonstrate the ability to find out in case the students achieve the outcomes.
Third, involve learner in assessment. This principle means that students should know everything about the assessment that is given from the teacher. Why they have to be assessed, what the result means, and what the result for, are have to be told by the teacher. Teacher also must explain about how to do the assessment task clearly. Moreover, it is important to the teacher to give detail about the criteria that want to be used in assessing the students’ performance. Feedback, if the purpose of the assessment is to give feedback, is has to be given in form so that the student can understand easily.
Forth, use a variety of assessment methods. According to Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences, intelligence is not just a single intellectual. That is why, use variety of methods in giving assessment is very important. This principle is considered by the researcher in recent years because students hate test. After this principle applies, teacher knows the ability of the students in different context.
Therefore, by using those principles, the classroom assessment and evaluation will be more effective. The student can do the assessment task easily because the teacher gives all the information about the assessment, such as the instruction and the criteria. Moreover, the assessment is related to the learning outcomes and covers the ability that students have, so they will easier in doing the task.
