The Seventh Reflection of PETA about Assessment by Nurul Noviana

             Seventh reflection in this course, I have learned about assessment. For me, it is not new things when I heard about assessment at that time. Then, actually I have gotten a lot of new things about assessments in that day, because I did not only get what effective assessment is but also I learned element or domain of assessments, identified two models of assessments, learned about assessments effect in the classroom, and influenced of motivation in teaching learning. Although my friends and I have already gotten assessment topic in the guest lecturer session, but last meeting in the course we have learned a lot of new things about assessments.

            This meeting, my lecturer gave explanation after students’ group work and presentation one by one in the group. Then, my lecturer gave clarification about students’ explanation.

            From I have learned today, I have already understood clearly almost all the part of this topic. I tried to have a true meaning about assessment, what assessment is, what effective assessment is. The differences of this meeting, at the first time I had to answer the question of my lecturer “what do you think at the first time if you hear about test? Draw and explain it!” honestly, I drew about a person’s head with eye’s question. It was like this (?___?). I was thinking about confusedness, fearless or full of scared, uncomfortable, and so on and so on when I heard about word “TEST”. The reason was test as part of assessment, it had meaning that I have to do my best if I did, if I had to study hard before going to the test, if I had to deep my understanding, if I had to be careful of my working, etc. So, although assessment was not new things that I have ever heard, but assessment like test was so frightened for me. In the fact, assessment is not only a test or paper and pencil test, but many kinds of assessments that I can apply such as performance, soft skill to solve problems in the class, presentation, etc.

            I could also explain about assessment and effective assessment. Assessment is tools to measure students learning, and effective assessment is valid, reliable, and objective assessment. Valid means accuracy of making good assessment. Reliable means consistency of giving assessment. Objective means something that actually exists and based on the fact. So, in effective assessment had to have these processes such as pre-instruction, during instruction, and post-instruction. Pre-instruction is when design lesson plan, plan learning to students’ understanding. During instruction is as a teacher had to give knowledge, assess and provide feedback. Post-instruction is analyzing students’ feedback, evaluation, redesign the learning if there is additional or advices, even try to make innovative learning. In conclusion, effective assessment is not only the teacher can assess the students, but also assess based on what the teacher wants to assess exactly and give feedback as evaluation.

            Furthermore understanding in this topic is about elements of assessment. There are purposes, measurement (techniques), evaluation (interpretation), use (diagnostics, grading, and instruction). And the domains are cognitive, affective, and phsycomotoric. In cognitive, teachers asses students’ knowledge with paper and pencil for the example or can be others. In affective domain, teachers assess students’ performance, such as group discussion, pair assignments, etc. the last domain is phsycomotoric. In phsycomotoric the assessment based on project that students made such as mini research, video, etc. So, through these elements of assessment as a teacher can be more creative to create effective assessment and build new paradigm about assessment. In previous opinion, assessment is a fear thing, but now assessment is something that has to be waited by students.

            Another understanding is about model of assessments. There are two kind of models, such as conventional and standard based. In conventional teacher is used to plan an instructional unit then test students to see what students have learned directly. Although in planning instructional unit, the teachers have already determined what knowledge and skills of students’ learned and decided how to teach the skills and knowledge, it has still lack of connection between instruction and assessment. It is different with standard based model. In this model teachers should plan an instructional unit first. Then the teachers teach using variety of strategies in teaching learning. The last is teachers’ assessment. In this model before assessing students, teachers look at the result during teaching, decide what to do next after teaching (adapt the instruction based on assessment, give more practice, and help students to use feedback). So, after teaching students, teacher should not directly assess students but there is connection between plan instruction and assessing students. Notwithstanding, there are two models here and in standard based looks like more effective than conventional model, I cannot use model one or just model two. As a teacher I can use one of them or combine both of them based on the topic that I have to deliver later on. The most important thing is in teaching learning do not forget about the connection between teaching and assessment. Feedback and evaluation during the lesson is needed by students’ development.

            The next understanding topic in previous meeting is about assessment effect in the class. Based on students learning motivation and goals, students’ achievement can be gotten by increasing students’ motivation. For the example, through feedback or achievement from the teacher students can be motivated and students’ purpose in learning can be changed to be better. As a teacher, should know the meaning of effective feedback, because feedback can motivate students increasing their skill and knowledge if teacher give it in certain and appropriate way.

            The last experience in learning assessment in the class is about part of influence or effect of motivation in learning and assessment. By motivating students whether from extrinsic or instrinsic motivation can influence task involvement. Task as a feedback to measure students’ understanding can be effected well if students’ behavior which is here means extrinsic motivation can affect each other with ego involvement which is social prestise, self-esteem, and fear of academic standing.

            However I am still confused with explanation of my friends group about effect of motivation in learning and assessment. I could not make relation between ego involvement and extrinsic motivation which can be effected to task involvement. It is because of my friends understanding which make me confused. But then, I tried to make clear understanding with paying attention to my lecturer’s explanation and enriching a lot of reading resources after the lesson. So, up to now I have known the connection between motivation and assessment. It is more about students’ motivation from their selves, environment or condition of learning, and task which is given by teacher.  

            I think today session was very interesting and useful. How to give meaning of assessment and try to make new point of view about assessment, are important for me. My judgment about assessment was gone. Then, new innovation of giving assessment has already built in my mind. Especially as a teacher candidate, new paradigm about assessment is just paper and pencil has to be left. Teacher should make variety in giving explanation which is strategies of teaching learning and it can influence assessment after getting students’ understanding. It will not be easy maybe, because there are still paper and pencil test model as the final result of examination. Because of that condition, teachers have to give evaluation and feedback as assessment during teaching learning in the class. It will be useful and appropriate I think. Thus, this lesson is very meaningful for me.

            Today’s session, I have already met my expectation in understanding assessment. I can change my bad thinking of assessment. Actually I was surprised when I came to this school with giving new way of assessment. My understanding in assessment was just paper and pencil before. In the fact, there are a lot of varieties in giving fun assessment. Especially after learning assessment topic in PETA class, I will create new thinking about test and will not be patient to wait applying my knowledge about assessment in the class later on.

            I hope, the next meeting I will get more awesome topic and lesson learned. Beside that, I hope I can improve my knowledge with reading a lot. I like this course and my great lecturer, Ms. Ine. Big thanks for sharing knowledge and giving us new views about teaching learning in Principle English Teaching and Assessment (PETA) course. :)