Introducción al Diseño Curricular de Inglés para 6to año de la Secundaria PORTFOLIO Bárbara Olavarría

As I had previously attended other courses on the curriculum design for secondary school, I had an idea of what CLIL was all about and I more or less knew how to plan a unit of work. However, throughout this course I began to realise that there is a lot more to it than I had thought, mainly in the assessment field.

FOR / OF / AS The division of assessment into these three “groups” was completely new for me and it’s highly important for teachers to have the three of them in mind all the time because each of them complements the other two.

Language Testing: why and how? Fulcher’s chapters made me think about the actual purpose of tests and criteria. Here are some quotations that called my attention: Carroll (1961: 314) states: “The purpose of language testing is always to render information to aid in making intelligent desicions about possible courses of action.” “A test is selected for a particular situation and purpose” (Cronbach (1984: 122). “The act of testing is designed to play a role in the teaching and learning processes, rather than certify ultimate achievement” (Fulcher)

“For some, language tests are gatekeeping tools that further the agendas of the powerful. For others, they are a vehicle by which society can implement equality of opportunity or learner empowerment” (Fulcher)

All this makes me wonder whether testing on a meritocratic basis is a good thing…

Construct definition Another concept that was new for me is the concept of “construct”. Constructs are the abilities of the learner that we believe underlie their test performance, but which we cannot directly observe. These being “concepts”, and we can identify them because they are usually abstract nouns. The oldest construct in education is propbably “intelligence”. When we abstract from what we observe and create labels we are essentially building a basic theory to explain observable phenomena. The important thing is deciding what qualities you want students to have and how you will assess them against those qualities.

Washback Tests can have positive and negative effects, or washback. Positive washback refers to expected test effects. For example, a test may encourage students to study more or may promote a connection between standards and instruction. Negative washback refers to the unexpected, harmful consequences of a test. For example, instruction may focus too heavily on test preparation at the expense of other activities. Positive washback Negative washback One way to ensure positive washback is through instructional planning that links teaching and testing. By selecting a test that reflects your instructional and program goals, you can more closely align testing with instruction.

All in all, this course made me see assessment from a different perspective and I believe that what I’ve learnt will definitely have an effect on my teaching. I had never thought of all the steps we take during a unit just because a is coming soon! And all the things we don’t do for the same reason. Nonetheless, “test” and “assessment” should not become taboo words. The most important thing is to have a clear idea of why and how we do it in order to have a positive effect. It is highly important for tests to be as fair and objective as possible. After all… “Iinstitutional assessment efforts should not be concerned about valuing what can be measured but, instead, about measuring that which is valued”. Banta, T. W., Lund, J. P., Black, K. E., & Oblander, F. W., Assessment in practice: Putting principles to work on college campuses. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.p. 5, 1996