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1、A Project Report on Online Resources of Language Testing for Self-assessmentPart I Literature ReviewIt is not an overstatement to say that the Internet has transformed English language teaching and testing. More and more teachers and learners have access to the Internet, which has been described as
2、a repository of a near-infinite number of authentic materials. The Web offers exciting opportunities by employing hyper-texts, audio, and even video-clips into language courses. The interactivity of websites also makes the language testing attractive, efficient and effective. Language learners can d
3、o language exercises and tests online, play language games to test and use the language, and much more. The computer mediated communication (CMC) makes the interaction between teachers and students synchronous by the online collaborative environment. Following this trends, this project just touches
4、one aspect of online resources, namely, the resources for self-assessment in language testing.1.1 Terminology Related to Self-assessmentThe literal meaning of self-assessment is an assessment done by someone themselves. To be more specific, it is the process that the learners themselves evaluate the
5、ir own performance, using clear criteria and weighting systems agreed on beforehand (Ur, P., 2000: 245). However, there are still some characteristics need to be clarified according to the literature resources on this topic.Self-assessment is also known as self-evaluation, self-rating, self-testing
6、and self-appraisal (Davies, et al. 2002: 177). It is an approach to assessment which involves learner in making judgements about their own level and/or progress. Moral reasons (e.g. the sharing of power between teacher and learner) as well as motivational ones (e.g. the excitement of self-discovery)
7、 are often used to justify self-assessment practices against the accusation of lack of reliability which this report will deal with in Part Three.It seems that there are little differences amongst self-assessment, self-evaluation, and self-rating. Instead, there are some distinctions according to ot
8、her professionals as follows (Richards, Schmidt, Kendrick & Kim, 2005: 611612).Self-evaluation (also self-assessment) checking ones own performance on a language learning task after it has been completed or checking ones own success in using a language. Self-evaluation is an example of a METACOGNITI
9、VE STRATEGY in language learning.Self-instruction (in education) approaches to learning in which a learner works alone or with other learners, without the control of a teacher. The use of self-instructional activities in language teaching helps to give learners a greater degree of control over their
10、 own learning. It is based on the belief that learning is sometimes more effective if learners can make choices about the kinds things they wish to learn, the strategies they use, and the amount of time they can spend on a learning task.Self-rating (also, self-report in testing) is an individuals ow
11、n evaluation of their language ability, generally according to how good they are at particular language skills (e.g. reading, speaking), how well they are able to use the language in different DOMAINs or situations (e.g. at the office, at school) or how well they can use different styles of the lang
12、uage (e.g. a formal style or an informal style). Self-ratings are a way of obtaining indirect information about a persons proficiency in a language.For the sake of convenience, there is no difference made amongst these items in this report.1.2 Positive Effects of Self-assessmentOnline assessment can
13、 help students to monitor their achieving of the learning objectives, to identify their difficulties. Even the self-assessment method calls for some teachers instruction, it is student-centered and, therefore, contributes to student involvement in the assessment and progressive process. As Genesee a
14、nd Upshur (2001: 105) point out the many methods of assessment treat students as objects of evaluation and place the responsibility and task of assessment in the hands of teachers or other adults. Bu employing the self-assessment, the authority has been transferred into students own hands. The posit
15、ive effects can be summarized, based on some literatures, as follows:1.2.1 Enhance the Individualized Learning PlanStudentscan make use of information contained in the syllabus for their own purposes. By comparing syllabus plans with their own skills and resources before they take a course, students
16、 can judge whether they have adequate resources, such as time, to meet the demands of the course and then decide whether to take the course (Genesee & Upshur, 2001: 25).1.2.2 Provide Better Learning EnvironmentEffective learning environment provides many opportunities for students to assess their own goals, accomplishments, and ways of studying so that they can make decisions that will advance their second language learning (Genesee & Upshur, 2001
