Abstract
Despite existing in education for some time, the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools in formative and summative English language assessment remains debatable (Acharya, 2015). This study investigates how secondary school teachers integrate ICT into their assessment practices, specifically focusing on alternative methods that promote a more formative approach to measuring English language skills. Through narrative inquiry into ICT-integrated English language assessment, this study aims to answer the question: how are teachers using ICT tools for both formative and summative assessment of these skills? The research identifies two key themes: ICT-integrated formative assessment and ICT-integrated summative assessment. Findings reveal two distinct approaches to technology use: some teachers maintain traditional testing methods while merely using technology to create assessments, limiting the potential of ICT to enhance the experience. Conversely, other teachers view assessment as an integral part of learning, aiming to make it engaging, environmentally friendly, and motivating by directly embedding technology into their English language teaching and assessment practices.
Introduction
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Information and Communication Tools (ICT) have become pivotal for language teaching and assessment. However, their implementation has primarily served as supporting material in education. While the use of ICT tools is not novel in academia, the transition from traditional to online teaching modes has instigated a radical shift in their prevalence within education. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly expanded the application of ICT tools for both teaching and testing purposes.
Traditionally, the utilization of computers and ICT tools has been confined to printing and projecting educational materials (Huang & Lu, 2021). Nevertheless, the challenging circumstances prompted by the pandemic have compelled educators to adopt computer-aided assessment approaches for language assessment (Tailor, 2006). This paper aims to examine how teachers employ ICT tools for English language assessment and identify optimal practices for evaluating language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Assessment, in this context, serves as an activity to establish a benchmark for learning achievements.
The study emphasizes the utilization of ICT tools in English language assessment and aims to provide insights that can assist teachers in integrating assessment practices at the school level. The study’s findings are anticipated to support teachers in overcoming challenges associated with preparing summative assessments, particularly for term examinations. The primary focus of this paper is to identify solutions for teachers grappling with the creation of effective summative assessments and, consequently, alleviate the anxiety and tension experienced by both students and teachers during examinations. The study is expected to offer alternative approaches to English language assessment at the school level.
Role of ICT in English Language Assessment
While traditional assessments have primarily focused on the final product of learning, alternative assessments advocate for a holistic approach by incorporating both the process and product (Brandit, 1992). This becomes particularly relevant in challenging contexts like the recent pandemic, where Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools become indispensable for effectively monitoring students’ continuous progress. Despite their potential, current practices for alternative assessments remain limited, and the question of teachers’ proficiency in utilizing ICT tools specifically for English language assessment remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, traditional, summative examinations often foster high levels of anxiety and require intensive preparation, with Nepalese students typically starting dedicated study only upon the exam schedule release. To mitigate this anxiety and reduce the burden on both students and teachers, ICT tools offer innovative approaches. Continuous monitoring of progress and diverse grading mechanisms beyond traditional paper-pencil tests can alleviate stress and streamline the assessment process.
In Nepal, the English language holds a unique position. Not merely a subject, it is mandated up to a higher level and acts as a compulsory language due to the global dominance of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). While it transcends the boundaries of a simple subject, its integration into the curriculum necessitates a robust evaluation system to accurately gauge learning outcomes. This system can be both flexible and rigorous, depending on the tools employed. ICT tools present a compelling solution, enhancing the ease and comfort of English language assessment while simultaneously optimizing the efficiency of the evaluation process.
Use of ICT in Summative vs Formative
While various assessment tools exist, their adaptability across different assessment types varies. Some tools, like Google Forms, excel in facilitating objective assessments but might require adaptation for subjective evaluations (Guyot, 1978). Similarly, the distinction between formative and summative assessments requires clarity. Summative assessment, focused on program improvement, differs from summative evaluation, which judges program efficacy at its conclusion. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is continuous and record-keeping oriented, often involving long-term projects. Summative assessments are typically “one-shot” and administered at the program’s end.
ICT tools like Google Slides and Blogger can significantly enhance formative assessment practices. These platforms allow teachers to track student progress through collaborative projects and reflections, reducing the manual burden of physical portfolios. Moreover, the ease of sharing these digital records with school, teachers, and parents promotes transparent communication while minimizing paper dependence, contributing to environmentally conscious education.
ICT and Continuous Assessment
Although assessment plays a crucial role in language learning, significant changes in evaluation systems in Nepal have been scarce since English became a compulsory subject at the school level. Concepts such as the Continuous Assessment System (CAS) and other alternative approaches have been introduced and practised, but these initiatives faced challenges and tensions among teachers. Due to the lack of monitoring and teacher negligence, innovative evaluation ideas could not sustain themselves. The implementation of CAS in Nepal was particularly challenging due to the absence of computers and technological facilities for real-time activity-based assessments. However, there is now a growing opportunity to incorporate such alternative evaluation methods in language teaching.
The integration of ICT in alternative assessments yields positive results, saving time and providing some level of automation that can assist teachers in reducing their workload, preventing them from feeling overwhelmed during alternative assessments. Students often exhibit fear and tension in the language learning process, driven by exam-related concerns. When teachers teach language functions, students frequently inquire about the significance of the content for exams, reflecting a focus on learning languages solely for exam purposes.
Despite various theories supporting continuous assessment and other alternative options (Dikli, 2003), these approaches often falter due to inadequate teacher training or lack of motivation. While the government of Nepal allocates a portion of scores for practical tasks, teachers sometimes resort to awarding bonus points, creating a scenario where alternative assessment becomes an effective method to alleviate exam-related stress for both students and teachers, especially when utilizing available ICT tools.
The adoption of alternative assessment methods has numerous benefits for both teachers and students (Manib, 2020). Students, who typically focus on achieving grades in a three-hour final exam, can benefit from a relief in exam-related tension. This shift also provides teachers with opportunities to utilize ICT tools effectively, expanding the assessment of language skills beyond traditional pen-and-paper tests.
E-portfolio (Google Site) for CAS
Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) represent a purposeful collection of student work, encompassing diverse formats like essays, multimedia recordings, and graphics. These curated artefacts serve to showcase students’ learning progression, achievements, and skills (Jenson & Treuer, 2014).
E-portfolios’ unique suitability for 21st-century learning stems from their ability to facilitate, document, and archive learning across formal and informal contexts (Jenson & Treuer, 2014). They function as learning tools empowering students to clarify educational goals, solidify knowledge through reflection, and demonstrably showcase their achievements to potential employers. By engaging in self-reflection on learning methods, outcomes, and progress, students cultivate ownership of their educational journey. As Paulson and Paulson (1991) aptly stated, “portfolio is a laboratory where students construct meaning from their accumulated experience” (p. 5). Through selecting representative work and reflecting on their learning, students glean a deeper understanding from their diverse educational experiences and extract new meaning from the process.
Among various educational tools, Google Sites stands out for its utility in creating and maintaining e-portfolios. Its user-friendly interface facilitates accessibility for all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and school administrators. This transparency fosters positive student motivation and encourages them to actively track their progress. Moreover, these recorded e-portfolios function effectively for continuous assessment, offering valuable insights into both student and teacher performance. By fostering consistent and proper maintenance, e-portfolios contribute to the improvement of learning outcomes for both students and educators.
Methodology
This paper adopts a qualitative approach (Silverman, 2020) based on personal experiences, workplace observations, and informal discussions with fellow English language teachers regarding their challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with two participants—Hari (pseudonym), a teacher in a remote Nepali village with limited ICT access, and Sunita (pseudonym), a Lalitpur secondary-level teacher with four years of experience using ICT tools for assessment—the research examines how teachers utilize ICT tools for English language assessment. Data analysis follows an interpretive paradigm (Gray, 2004), focusing on participants’ actions, experiences, and meaning-making within their respective contexts.
Hari and Sunita (pseudonym) were chosen for their contrasting experiences: Hari represents teachers facing ICT-related challenges, while Sunita demonstrates effective ICT integration. Participant selection prioritized quality standards, confidentiality, and anonymity. Rapport-building occurred through re-establishing personal connections with Hari and discussing ICT use within the author’s workplace, facilitating subsequent requests for interviews. Both interviews began with informal conversations, obtained informed consent for recording, and assured participants of data confidentiality and anonymity.
Recorded interviews were transcribed, focusing on relevant sections related to ICT usage in assessment. Thematic analysis, based on “summative assessment using ICT tools” and “formative assessment using ICT tools for English language testing,” was employed to analyze and interpret the data.
Thematic Discussion Based on Finding
In this section, this article deals with two major themes under the assessment of the English language. The first theme is the integration of information communication tools in summative assessment and similarly, the second one is the integration of Information communication tools in formative assessment of the English language.
Integration of ICT tools in Summative Assessment of English
I have experience testing students’ language learning achievements using a blackboard and white chalk. As a student, I participated in such assessments, and as a teacher in my early career, I employed the same method. On the chalkboard, the teacher would write questions, and students had to copy and solve them. This practice persists in rural parts of Nepal. The use of technology in test preparation tools is widespread in the academic world. Since COVID forced us to conduct classes alternately, many schools and teachers were compelled to incorporate technology for teaching and testing. The technological shift in education (Rogers, 2000) has brought about a significant paradigm shift in technology integration in English language teaching and testing.
The gap between theory and practice has been identified as a genuine issue to be investigated. While discussing ICT integration in language assessment is promising, many situations at the school level and in classroom practices have not seen the expected change. We can argue that the transformation of language testing has undergone a substantial shift, referencing standardized testing formats like PTE and others that involve computer-aided assessment (CAA). However, upon analyzing the available situations and obtained data, it is evident that the use of technology remains akin to my student experience 20 years ago, particularly in rural areas of Nepal.
Despite technological advancements and their positive impact on human activity, academia has not fully embraced them. Typing questions and printing using machines are the primary uses of technology in summative assessment. Hari contends that he is the only digitally literate person in the school, responsible for typing question papers, printing, and preparing them for examination. As an English teacher recently appointed permanently for lower secondary levels, he finds himself performing additional tasks during exams, beyond regular teaching. In this context, the shift in ICT use for assessment in schools has remained stagnant for two decades.
While playing audio and video during listening tests represents a minor use of technology in testing, the fundamental activity of testing language skills seems unchanged over the past 20 years. Hari mentions that students use calculators in some exams, but this practice is not applicable in language testing. Despite the potential use of e-dictionaries during tests, it is against exam rules.
On the other hand, Sunita elaborates on using applications in language testing, specifically for students’ self-assessment of language skills using a mobile app called ELSA. Although this is not part of the summative assessment, Sunita designed Google Forms for reading and writing tests during the assessment of the English language. The Google Forms included various question formats such as matching words, filling in the blanks, true or false, short questions, long questions, and explaining pictures. She employed this technique during the COVID pandemic when students were engaged in distance learning. The use of Google Forms is considered an amazing technique as it allows testing all language skills. Sunita’s approach to embedding video for listening tests was also noteworthy. Initially, she sought help from available internet audio, but she expressed the possibility of recording a similar type of studio on her mobile for future listening test tools.
Both participants have been using technology tools for language testing. The application of readily available tools necessitates skill in their use. Assessment is not a one-way process; a teacher’s skill in using technology for assessment at an optimum level depends on the context as well. Referencing data from Hari and Sunita, students from both schools come from different backgrounds, and family background, geographical ease, and technological access determine the use of ICT in English language assessment.
Integration of ICT tools in Formative Assessment of English Language
Formative assessment is defined as the continuous engagement of students in action and the regular updating of learning comprehension (Bennett, 2011). Regular assessments of students can be considered formative as they continuously support learning and track students’ progress. In the general understanding of school-level assessment, teachers often perceive term exams, class activities, unit tests, and other project works as formative, as they are not primarily designed for students’ upgrading but rather for assessing ongoing progress. Final exams, usually conducted at the end of academic sessions, are viewed differently.
Understanding formative assessment has enabled participants to explain how they integrate ICT tools into their classroom assessments. In the context of formative assessment, the first participant, Hari, mentioned that the use of ICT tools is more common than in summative assessment. During class activities, Hari uses his mobile and laptop for searching vocabulary. He also highlighted the common practices of playing audio/video and projecting prepared files on the projector. However, he expressed reservations about using ICT tools for testing students’ learning achievements. When asked if he has ever given students questions to search on Google at home, he acknowledged doing so occasionally, but it may not be suitable for all students, especially those without internet access or devices. Hari mentioned challenges with technology maintenance and the difficulty in utilizing school-provided technology due to infrastructure issues.
On the other hand, Sunita explained that she frequently uses technology for testing students, employing tools such as Google Forms, Padlet, Google Slides, Quiz Maker, and Edupuzzle. She maintains a blended class, using Google Classroom as an asynchronous tool for language testing. Sunita posts links in Google Classroom, specifying the time for students to complete assigned tasks. She finds tools like Google Forms and Edupuzzle particularly effective for designing objective-type questions as quizzes, and creating an engaging and interactive learning environment. For Sunita, testing is not only about grades but also an integral part of the learning process, emphasizing the importance of fostering a joyful learning environment.
In this context, the use of technology in formative assessment proves to be easier and more versatile than in summative assessment. Hari adopts a need-based approach, using technology to save time and eliminate unnecessary redundancies when searching for new information or delivering content. He prefers video and photo projections over manual demonstrations of drawings or objects. Similarly, he closely integrates technology with language assessment and learning.
Conclusion
The exploration of teachers’ experiences and practices in integrating technology into language assessment has revealed a dynamic interplay between traditional methods and modern tools. The study has shed light on the diverse approaches employed by teachers, showcasing a spectrum of perspectives and challenges in rural and urban settings.
The distinction observed between teachers in rural and urban areas is notably complex. The technological shift in rural areas appears to be comparatively lower than in urban areas. Schools in urban settings, especially those within valleys or city areas, exhibit a higher level of technological integration, benefiting from easy access to the internet and well-practiced use of technological tools in teaching and testing.
While acknowledging the challenges associated with implementing technology in language testing, it is crucial to recognize potential avenues for leveraging available tools, such as mobile devices, for assessing students’ pronunciation, listening skills, critical thinking, and various other language competencies. Teacher training plays a vital role, as educators equipped with the necessary skills can effectively utilize available tools. However, the conditions of schools and students’ backgrounds can serve as influential factors affecting teachers’ ability to incorporate technology into English language testing. As we navigate this intricate landscape, the integration of technology in language assessment stands as both a promising opportunity and a nuanced challenge, requiring thoughtful consideration and innovative solutions to bridge the gaps between technology, pedagogy, and the diverse educational contexts in which language learning takes place.
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