Comments on Article

Rebecca S. Anderson – Why Talk about Different Ways to Grade? The Shift from Traditional Assessment (TA) to Alternative Assessment (AA).

1. The overuse of everything (lecture, objective test, etc)

In TA students are expect to absorb everything without by the perception that all that will come out in exam. Most students will just focus at the end of the lesson which learning to me should be in progressing process until we are proficient enough. That why there is a need in shift to a more efficient assessment.

2. Diverse student population
-Learners’ needs and learning styles varies and one size fits all cannot cater to all of them
-Consideration is given to the learning styles, language proficiencies, cultural and educational backgrounds, and grade levels of students
-Is authentic because it is based on activities that represent actual progress toward instructional goals and reflect tasks typical of classrooms and real-life settings
-Focus is on documenting student growth over time, rather than on comparing students with one another.
-Emphasis is on students' strengths (what they know and can do with the language), rather than on their weaknesses.
-Process vs. Product

3. Shift of Paradigm 

Constructivism starting to influence by the social-constructivism. Where student is learning as one society and they will work together as one. Student is the lead in their own learning. Student has more power in class to determine what they want to learn. Hence this will help student to get more self-monitor in their learning. They can do many experimental to test or challenge themselves to the limit that they can achieve and push a little by little forward.

4. Traditional and Alternative Separate.

Alternative Assessment.

5. Comparison between TA and AA

Although AA seem a favorite nowadays it not necessary that TA is bad. It just when we need to know when to use them? How to use and assess? What to assess? They need to be a balance to everything. Exposure to TA must be balanced with AA also.