ENG 345 Post # 11

The readings from this past week dealt with assessment. In my 346 class, we have been discussing the differences between assessment and testing and the various types of assessments you can use in order to assess students. As Brown has said, a test is something that measures knowledge in a specific domain where as an assessment measures a wider domain in an ongoing process. An example of this would be a portfolio that a student could look back on and see how much they have progressed and the knowledge they have gained. I personally prefer assessments in the elementary and secondary school settings. The purpose of school is for students to learn and progress. With diverse assessments students can explore their abilities and talents and learn and experience more than in just one test that is not always valid and reliable. Also in the readings, Brown discusses norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests. I became aware of norm- referenced tests last year due to my professor grading our exams and papers in comparison to the rest of the class. I hated this. Since the class I took was a Spanish history class, there were many native Spanish speakers in there. Therefore, my level of ability was seen as lower due to my L2 being compared to someone's L1. I did not think that that was entirely fair. In my future class, I would be sure to use criterion-referenced tests. I feel that it is only fair to base a students performance off of what they can do and not compare it to everyone elses. Every student should have the opportunity to obtain an A, not be scattered through out a scale based on comparability.