ASSESSMENT

Standardized Testing: How to Support Students’ Learning?

14 June 2023/ By Zineb DJOUB

Part of the educational process is the process of assessing learners’ progress to find out whether the teacher’s objectives and expectations have been met.  Standardized testing is among the methods used to collect such information. Below we’ll discuss the meaning of standardized testing, some of its pros and cons, and how to support students to learn from assessments.

What is the difference between testing, assessment, and evaluation?

Assessment is the process through which learners’ progress is monitored over time (day-to-day observation and a variety of alternative assessment tools). It seeks to determine the degree of knowledge and skills developed by learners and how they have gone through achieving them.

Whereas, testing is one kind of assessment that measures students’ achievement typically at the end of a stage of instruction. It is thus about a person’s ability or knowledge in a given domain.

Evaluation entails an in-depth study of assessment results to determine the effectiveness of programmes. So, it focuses on the quality and value of a process or outcome and aims at making decisions on the basis of the feedback obtained.

Standardized testing definition and types

These are tests that are administered and scored using procedures that are uniform and consistent which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.

Standardized tests come in a variety of forms such as multiple-choice, true or false questions, open-ended essay questions, etc.  They include:

Aptitude tests: These are used to measure a candidate’s cognitive abilities, work behaviours, or personality traits.

For instance, the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) and the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (LAB) consist of four components: auditory ability, grammatical sensitivity, inductive language learning ability, besides memory upon which students are tested to predict whether they can succeed or not in learning a foreign language

Placement tests: These are conducted to identify the level most suitable for a learner. A standardized test can be used for this purpose, while some programmes may include also interviews, surveys, or an in-house placement test to indicate the learner’s level.

Diagnostic test: This test reveals a learner’s competence in relation to course outcomes. For instance, a diagnostic test in a language course can include grammar, and writing tasks, besides role plays to identify learner needs.

Proficiency tests: These are used to determine someone’s readiness for academic work (for example, the Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEFL).

Achievement test: Achievement tests are used to ascertain what learners have gained through a unit or course (for instance, Comprehensive Adult Student  Assessment System CASAS).

Achievement tests, unlike proficiency tests, are limited to a given lesson, teaching materials, and objectives within a particular programme. Though they are summative, they still have a formative function because they provide information concerning the student’s performance in a given course.

The pros and cons of standardized testing

Standardized tests can help differentiate among learners at different levels to determine the most appropriate level for them within a programme, or whether they have made progress in relation to a norm or criterion. So, they can be norm-referenced, reflecting a comparison to a group (or norm) or comparing a test taker’s performance with other test-takers.

Because standardized tests use procedures that are uniform and consistent, test scores can give a broad and consistent view of learner progress within and across levels, programmes, and states. So, they can help evaluate progress and identify areas of improvement.

However, standardized tests when used for placement cannot indicate what individual learners want and need as they enter programmes. So, the test score may not reflect his or her real strengths and prior knowledge.

Further, these tests cannot measure elusive skills, such as the development of learning strategies, the cognitive and reflective processes involved in actually producing something, creativity, etc.

 Tests can be useful for collecting information about student achievement under certain restricted conditions, but they are not particularly useful for collecting information about students’ attitudes, motivation, interests, and learning strategies”(Genesee & Hamayan, 1994, p. 229).

Standardized tests can also have a negative impact on the career or life chances of individual test takers. It can engender frustration, inhibition, and a lack of self-esteem.

There will be very few of us who have never had any moments of dread caused by one or more testing experiences at times in our learning careers when learning is associated with jumping hurdles that seem too high. Very often these experiences are associated with feelings of failure and lack of self-esteem which may last well beyond school days”. (Hedge, 2000, p. 376)

 

In addition, pressure on teachers to cover the material and prepare students for the tests can result in ‘teaching to the test’, thereby devoting less or no time to hands-on projects and active learning tasks.

 

Should we replace standardized testing?

We, educators, need to use standardized tests as there is a prerequisite need to evaluate teaching programmes, and goals, and obtain information on students’ achievement, to adjust teaching and learning accordingly.

But, we should not focus entirely on them to learn about how our students are learning. So, the issue is with how we are using standardized testing.

Research has stressed the need for the active participation of students in their assessments and the value of dialogue between students and tutors in this process.  The relationship between learning and assessment is widely acknowledged, so the emphasis is put on ‘assessment for learning’ rather than simply ‘assessment as measurement’ (Juwah et al., 2004).

As a matter of fact, there is a need to use different instruments, procedures, and practices over time to gather information about learners’ progress, areas of difficulty, learning preferences, etc.

These go beyond traditional forms of assessment such as standardised tests; cloze and essay exams; to portfolios, self-and peer-assessment, conferencing, diaries and learning logs, and teacher checklists and observations. These forms of assessment have been known as alternative assessments.

Assessment plays a vital role in the teaching-learning process. It can drastically change the trajectory of learning. So, we should rethink the way we are using standardized testing to promote effective learning.

References

Genesee, F.,& Hamayan, E. (1994). Classroom-based assessment. In F. Genesee (Ed.) Educating Second Language Children  (pp.212-239). Cambridge: Cambridge University  Press.

Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom: A guide to current ideas about the theory and practice of English language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Juwah, C., D.; Macfarlane-Dick, B. Matthew, D. Nicol,  D. Ross, & B. Smith. (2004). Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback. York: Higher Education Academy Generic Centre.