WHY USE ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT INSTEAD OF (OR IN ADDITION TO) TRADITIONAL METHODS?
• “The problems associated with traditional testing often mask what the student really knows….” (Huerta-Macas 1995, p.8). Alternative assessment tests more than the learner’s ability to take a test (Pavlenko, personal communication April, 2001). • Performance can be tested in addition to knowledge; alternative assessment provides a more complete picture of what learners can do (Pavlenko, personal communication April, 2001). • Alternative assessment documents “…changes in learners’ attitudes, social interactions, and communication patterns that may be attributed to their participation in the program” (Spruck Wrigley 2000, p. 64). Skilton-Sylvester recommends using a combination of formal (traditional) and informal (alternative) assessment tools (Personal communication, 2001).
