engleski

Assessing writing: Striking a Balance in the Assessment of Accuracy and Effectiveness

This paper continues research conducted on assessing the effectiveness and accuracy of student discursive writing. Two hypotheses deriving from previous studies are posed: a) a writer who is strong in mechanical accuracy is likely to be strong in other writing skills (such as task achievement and coherence) ; b) weakness in mechanical accuracy is likely to adversely affect the assessment of other writing skills. To test these hypotheses, we assessed essays written by all the members of a group of students who had completed an advanced writing course. One analytical assessment scale was designed to measure task effectiveness, another was produced to evaluate accuracy, and a holistic scale was designed to measure effectiveness and accuracy combined. The results of the assessment conducted independently by three assessors are analysed and compared to see whether the hypotheses posed are proven. It is hoped first that the outcomes of the study will inform us whether our assessment scales suitably balance the assessment of accuracy and effectiveness in discursive writing. Second, in raising such issues with the subjects of our study, our students, we attempt to provide them with a sound basis to assess their own pupils in an objective and principled way in their future roles as teachers.

accuracy, assessment ; discursive writing ; effectiveness ; pre-service language teachers

nije evidentirano