How does this type of assessment compare with a traditional paper and pencil test?
• Student Preparation: In the past, I have occasionally given my students time during the lesson to study for an exam so that I could observe what they actually do in order to prepare for a test. Usually, if I have told them that new vocabulary will be included in the test, they use much of the time quizzing each other on the words. One says the word and the other translates or vise-versa. They may also spend some of the time reading the pages in the unit which explain the new grammar structure. They generally do not write sentences or paragraphs in the process of “studying” for an exam. When they are given a task, such as the one described above, they first, generally, re-read the passage and then look over the vocabulary list with a partner to see which words they can put into their presentation. They argue a bit about the content of the presentation. They start writing, correcting each other, asking another team or me to decide who is right. They read their creation over and over, t
