Professor Icy Lee

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Title: Language Assessment in Hong Kong Classrooms: Blessing or Curse?

Abstract

Second language classroom assessment has traditionally focused on the product of learning, with the teacher playing a dominant role in providing judgment of student learning at the end of instruction. Such an approach to assessment, referred to as assessment of learning, has dominated local English classrooms. Assessment of learning serves primarily summative purposes, where scores suffice for feedback and students play a passive role in the assessment process. Such an assessment culture has caused both teachers and students to develop negative attitudes towards assessment, which is considered an enemy rather than a friend, a curse rather than a blessing. As a result of a paradigm shift in language assessment, the notion of assessment for learning came into use in the late 1980s and early 1990s, underlining the pivotal role descriptive feedback plays in the assessment process (Parr & Timperley, 2010). This approach to assessment recognizes the importance of assessment during instruction to provide teachers with information to fine-tune their teaching and to improve student learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998, 2003). More recently, the term assessment as learning has been used to emphasize the active role of the learner as the critical connector between assessment and learning (Earl, 2003, Earl & Katz, 2006), and assessment as a process of metacognition for students (Berry, 2008). With guided instruction from the teacher, students develop their capacity to reflect on, monitor and assess their own learning. As societal change has put a greater onus on students to demonstrate independent and critical thinking, assessment as learning has a crucial role to play in helping students take charge of their learning, develop learner autonomy, and better prepare themselves for tomorrow's world. This presentation will explore ways in which classroom assessment in the English classroom, through a stronger focus on assessment for and as learning, can be turned from a curse into a blessing for both teachers and students.

Bio

Icy Lee is Professor in the Faculty of Education at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her main research interests are in second language writing, second language assessment, and second language teacher education. She was formerly President of Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics and Chair of the Non-native English Speakers in TESOL (NNEST) Interest Section of TESOL International Association.