A.

Providing for effective teaching

Course guides should be provided for each course offered in the
program with information on the course, aims, and objectives,
recommended materials and methods, suggested learning activities,
and procedures for assessment*.
B. Approaches to evaluation
Evaluation may focus on many different aspects of a language
program, such as:
curriculum design: to provide insights about the quality of
program planning and organization
the syllabus and program content: for example, how
relevant and engaging it was, how easy or difficult tests and
assessment procedures were
classroom processes: to provide insights about the extent to
which a program is being implemented appropriately
materials of instruction: to provide insights about whether
specific materials are aiding student learning
the teachers: for example, how they conducted their
teaching, what their perceptions were of the program, what
they taught
teacher training: to assess whether training teachers have
received is adequate
the students: for example, what they learned from the
program, their perceptions of it, and how they participated
in it
monitoring of pupil progress: to conduct formative (inprogress) evaluations of student learning
learner motivation: to provide insights about the
effectiveness of teachers in aiding students to achieve goals
and objectives of the school
the institution: for example, what administrative support
was provided, what resources were used, what
communication networks were employed
learning environment: to provide insights about the extent
to which students are provided with a responsive
environment in terms of their educational needs

staff development: to provide insights about the extent to

which the school system provides the staff opportunities to
increase their effectiveness
decision making: to provide insights about how well the
school staff principals, teachers, and others- make
decisions that result in learner benefits.

Purposes of evaluation
Weir and Roberts (1994) distinguish between two major purposes
for language program evaluation, program accountability, and
program development. Accountability refers to the extent to which
those involved in a program are answerable for the quality of their
work. Accountability-oriented evaluation usually examines the
effects of a program or project at significant end points of an
educational cycle and is usually conducted for the benefit of an
external audience or decision maker. Development-oriented
evaluation, by contrast, is designed to improve the quality of a
program as it is being implemented. It may involve staff as well as
others who are not involved in the program.
The different purposes for evaluation are referred to as formative,
illuminative and summative evaluation.
Formative evaluation may be carried out as part of the process of
program development in order to find out what is working well, and
what is not, and what problems need to be addressed. It focuses on
ongoing development and improvement of the program. Typical
questions are:
Has enough time been spent on particular objectives?
Have the placement tests placed students at the right level
in the program?
How well is the text book being received?
Is the methodology teachers are using appropriate?
Is the pacing of the material adequate?
Information collected during the formative evaluation is used to
address problems that have been identified and to improve the
delivery of the program.
Illuminative evaluation refers to evaluation that seeks to find out
how different aspects of the program work or are being
implemented. It seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the
processes of teaching and learning that occur in the program,

without necessarily seeking to change the course in any way as a

result. Questions that might be asked within this framework are:
How do students carry out group-work tasks? Do students
participate equally in them?
What type of error-correction strategies do teachers use?
Summative evaluation seeks to make decisions about the worth or
value of different aspects of the curriculum. This approach is
concerned with determining the effectiveness of a program, its
efficiency, and to some extent with its acceptability. It takes place
after the program has been implemented and seeks to answer
questions such as:
How effective was the course? Did it achieve its aims?
What did students learn?
How well was the course received by students and
teachers?
Did the materials work well?
Were the objectives adequate or do they need to be
revised?
Were placement and achievement tests adequate?
Was the amount of time spent on each unit sufficient?
How appropriate were the teaching methods?
C. Instructions*
1. Determine the course assessment procedures (tests,
participation, presentations, projects, essays, etc).
2. Determine their weight (percentages) and pass mark.
3. Select a unit/module/topic in your program.
4. Select appropriate testing techniques for that
unit/module/topic.
a. Reflect: Are you testing knowledge, skills,
competencies, procedures?
5. Design an instrument that evaluates it/them.
6. Remember a good test has the following qualities:
a. It is valid (content validity, construct validity and
face validy)
b. It is reliable (test reliability and scorer reliability)
c. It is practical in has no negative effects on the
teaching program (negative backwash)
(Baxter, 1997)

7. CHECKLIST
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES*
YES

NO

YES

NO

Assessment procedures are clearly stated

Assessment procedures are consistent with the
needs analysis and curriculum aims/objectives
TEST
Description of the instrument
It is valid
It is reliable
It is practical