Margi's "controlled" technique: adapting traditional forums There are many ways to revisit traditional assessment with an eye toward enhancing feedback on teaching and learning. I use "progressive writing profiles" to help students build criteria for papers and reinforce the notion of writing as a process. Grading is broken down into stages that parallel writing stages: these profiles "grow" as the information covered in class grows. Students assess each other's writing or receive teacher feedback on only a limited number of criteria on the first draft (see Assessment Form Sample 1). As students revise based on teacher, peer and class feedback and discussion, criteria are added to writing profiles used for later drafts. Students are "graded" on material as it is covered but in the end have a complete set of criteria and are assessed based on standards for a polished final product. (Hint: create the criterion lists as a class--use the students' words, not your own, to better ensure student understanding.)

I use forms of assessment in an alternative fashion by including a reflection element in the traditional testing process. After students take a regular test, I give it a preliminary grade. In the next class period, students work together, asking each other for feedback, sharing test responses to provide good model answers, and correcting individual errors. At home, students fill out a reflection worksheet: improvements made, items missed, plans for further improvement (see Assessment Form Sample 2).

Then we discuss outcomes of the process. We look at how some students' needs overlap and should be addressed in class activities while others should be addressed in individual homework assignments. We list new course objectives and plan and implement new activities based on the results. I may give additional practice to the entire class on paraphrasing techniques and paragraph editing, while designing specific homework for students who had trouble with short answer reading questions or who want to improve vocabulary skills. (Hint: If possible, give two grades on the test - one raw score to show how far students have come and one score that incorporates the reflection element.)

Cheryl's "semi-controlled" technique: checklists
An example of semi-controlled alternative assessment tool that can be used to inform teaching and learning is the use of checklists. Combining checklists with written student self-evaluations can be very informative in speaking and listening courses when students are involved in group discussions.

Each semester, my students write discussion questions based on a single topic that they know will elicit different opinions. Sample topics include fashion trends, gun control, cross-cultural marriages, etc. One day a week is assigned for these "topic discussions." While the students are involved in their discussions (in groups no larger than six), I sit outside the group with a matrix (see Assessment Form Sample 3) that indicates the topic, names of leader and members, and discussion behaviors. Sitting for at least 10 minutes per group, I simply make a mark each time a student (1) contributes meaningfully to the discussion; (2) asks questions; (3) interrupts others to offer, add, or modify his/her own opinion; (4) signals that he/she is listening; (5) or helps other group members with vocabulary or completion of a thought.

For homework, each student writes a self-evaluation of his/her participation in the group, how others responded to each other, and what he/she can do to improve participation. The matrix is shown to the class and general observations are made about the discussion behaviors of individuals or particular groups. Students often include some of the comments they wrote in their self-evaluation. I read each and then respond one-on-one. Since the group members are shuffled for each discussion, students have the opportunity to observe and model good techniques (and avoid bad ones). I remind the students that my checklists are only snapshots of a particular period of time in the discussion. The instructor's presence as an observer becomes less obtrusive as the semester goes on, and the students see the discussion as an authentic, contextualized activity that they will most likely encounter in their future academic careers. Establishing goals for the next group topic discussion actively engages students to make decisions about what is important to focus on; the students assume responsibility for their own learning.

Alice's "freestyle" technique: feedback circles
A more freestyle approach to assessment is simply to have the class take time out to reflect on experience and share ideas and perceptions with the entire learning community. This "feedback circle" is less-controlled, and sometimes a risk for the teacher as students' responses can be unpredictable. I have found that it is possible to implement feedback circles so that they contain less evaluation and more investigation and exploration. The result is that both the learners and I have the potential to come away with a clearer picture of how learning is taking place within our particular environment. At the beginning of the semester, I end class a few minutes early and ask students to form a circle. I tell them that I want us to discuss their learning and that it is important that everyone be able to see and hear everyone else. I then seat myself among them as a further indication that I am not wearing my "teaching hat."

Because many students have not had the experience of giving feedback, I begin with specific questions about class activities. For example, after they hand in an essay, I might start with the question, "What did you write about?", encouraging students to talk about their ideas and struggles in putting thoughts on paper. The specificity of the question helps us all to stay focused on the same experience, serving two important purposes: it's an easy question to answer for those who aren't used to sharing experiences before the group, and it makes what each student says intrinsically interesting to others. Once they begin sharing the process, I can steer the conversation towards reflection by asking them to identify strategies or ideas that worked. Students may be slow to get started, but I find that if I hold my tongue and wait, I am rewarded with valuable information about their frustrations and discoveries. Later in the semester I may start the feedback session with a more abstract question as students generally grow comfortable with the process. For example, in a listening or reading class, I may ask how things are going: "What do you feel you still need?" Then I try to be as quiet as possible so that they can inform one another and me by articulating their experiences. Despite, the temptation to jump in with my own analysis, I restrict myself to playing the role of facilitator. The benefits of these feedback sessions are numerous. As the teacher, I gain confidence from knowing where my students are in their learning. For example, a student may say, "I don't really want to do these taped listening activities; what really helps me is when we have a conversation about an issue." Other students may concur, so I allocate certain days in which students bring in topics to discuss so they can practice all the grammar and vocabulary that they study in their other courses. Or if a student asks for more correction, I can check in with that student regarding which method of correction she would like. "Would you like me to stop you mid-sentence or simply restate what you say correctly afterwards?" Finally, I feel that I can better match the pace of my teaching to the pace of their learning. Since I've started doing feedback, projects frequently take longer than I initially expect but have a richness and depth that comes from students having a greater voice. As a result, the finished projects comprise less of me and more of them.