One of the readings we were assigned this week is a chapter in Brown and Rice (2015) called "Classroom-Based Assessment." The chapter is about designing tests that are valid and adhere to pedagogy principles and measure authentic uses of language. It also discusses other types of assessments (e.g. self-assessment and portfolio-based assessment) that demonstrate student learning.

One of the concepts that resonated with me was the use of criterion-based tests. These tests are used to provide students with feedback about their abilities to achieve lesson and course objectives. A quote by Jamieson (2011) states that these tests help teachers to "target feedback...to reinforce successful learning and to identify learning errors and misconceptions" (quoted in Brown and Rice, 2015, p. 515). The authors explain that one of the ways that criterion-based tests accomplish this is by evoking performance related to specific criteria or course objectives (Brown and Lee, 2015).

This concept resonated with me because it presents tests in a different way than they usually are presented. Throughout my school experiences, tests were something that I mostly feared. They produced a lot of anxiety because the consequences of failing were severe and I often did not feel prepared for them even after I spent weeks studying for them. I recall one time during university when I took a statistics course. When my instructor passed us the exams, she projected a countdown clock on the screen in front of us. I was so anxious about this that my mind went completely blank and I was unable to write the test. As a result of this experience, I empathize with students everywhere who feel overwhelmed by the need to perform when taking tests.

I see this a lot with the students in the ESL classroom. Students panic when the teacher mentions that they will be tested soon on their ability to use language skills. The teacher explains that it is not a bad thing and that the testing will be on things they have recently done and have practiced many times. However, the concept of tests themselves seems to cause anxiety, regardless of culture. The concept of criterion-based tests has helped me realize that I have misunderstood tests and their purpose. They allow teachers to check in with their students and ensure that their teaching methods are effective. These tests also allow teachers to pinpoint students' strengths to help build their confidence and to identify learning opportunities to target common errors and misconceptions while encouraging students to continue learning outside of the classroom. As such, tests can be incredibly important tools for teachers and test-takers.

Another idea that resonated with me was that teachers should ensure that the tests that they design actually elicit the performance of the criteria and objectives that they are trying to assess. The authors suggest that teachers list everything that students should know or be able to do before designing a test. This ensures that the test questions accurately reflect the material in the curriculum that students are responsible for knowing. It also prevents students from complaining after a test that they did not understand the connections between what was covered in class and the questions in the test (Brown and Lee, 2015).

This idea resonated with me because it reflects my own language-learning experiences. Even though I enjoyed taking a university-level Spanish class as a part of my undergrad degree program, I struggled a lot with the tests. We were given study guides that were detailed. However, I felt like the guides did not really prepare me for the tests because the questions were presented in different ways than they were in class lectures and activities. While the vocabulary words and sentence forms were consistent with what we learned in class, it seemed that my instructor was trying to avoid repetition. As such, it seemed like she used them in different ways to ensure that we were challenged and could actually apply what we learned in class. Some of my classmates succeeded in achieving high scores while others like me were left confused.

In my own teaching, I want to ensure that the testing that I conduct is meaningful without being too challenging for my students. The purpose of testing is to measure learning and to assess whether objectives are being met. As such, the purpose is not to confuse students or present them with what they have learned in a new context that they have not seen during lessons. I also want to be able to find a balance in how often I conduct tests so they are not overdone but are still able to provide feedback about how I can best support my students and their learning.