Assessment Analysis - Essay Example

Hence, educating the ESOL students with intellectual programs such as IT can emerge as a challenging process. It is worth mentioning in this regard that effective learning of IT requires the learners to possess skills in terms of numeracy and language application where the ESOL students are commonly observed to lack behind (Lawton & Turnbull, 2007; Kambouri & et. al., 2006). It is in this context that the effectiveness of a particular learning process, such as IT, depends on its assessment process by a considerable extent where the limitations possessed by individual ESOL students are addressed and mitigated within the classroom environment (Rust, 2002).

Reviewing Two Assessment Methods The assessment method of observation in the classroom provides an opportunity to teachers to effectively and rationally recognize the various developmental needs of individual students from a comparative perspective. Observation also allows teachers to conduct continuous interaction with the students and gain better knowledge regarding their perceptions, individual competencies, individual limitations and other factors which strongly influence their behaviour as well as learning performances with regard to learning IT skills.

Additionally, observation also assists in the proper identification of the distinctive learning needs among the students by allowing the comparison of one student with their peers in the classroom setting. It can be stated that as IT skills consist of diverse practical skills, thus observation can be regarded as a key assessment method. This method can significantly facilitate to enhance the level of motivation of a learner as development needs and lacunas can be better assessed by this method (Crown, 2004).

Another assessment method that has proved to be quite effective when teaching IT to ESOL students is the application of practical tests. As mentioned by Kambouri & et. al. (2006), literacy skills are highly required among students when learning IT. However, owing to the behavioural limitations of the ESOL students and lack of knowledge in English language, the literacy rate is quite likely to differ from one group to the other as well as in the individual level as well. It is in this context that the practical test process aims at evaluating the literacy skills possessed by the students based on quantitative raking system where the learners are required to solve few IT problems through multiple-choice questioning by applying their obtained knowledge and skills learnt through the education process.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Observation and Practical Test Assessment Methods Observation Method Strengths: Through continuous observation, teachers can maintain a record of students to identify the IT related skills as well as limitations possessed by individual students which are often non-verbally communicated by the students’ attitudes This process allows the observers, i.e. the teachers to prepare the IT related tasks according to the requirements and capabilities of the learners Comparison of the development of one student in comparison to the other with regard to