Foreign Language Learning

Assessment in the Age of ChatGPT:

A Theoretical Account

• Marwan Saeed Saif Moqbel

• Abdu M. Talib Al-Kadi
Ibb University, Yemen

Published: May 20, 2023

Journal of English Studies in Arabia

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 Key words

 Alternative assessment

 Performance-based

assessment

 Self-assessment

 ChatGPT
 Introduction

Context of Teaching and Learning Transformation:

Teaching and learning are complex, evolving processes

influenced by new technologies, particularly artificial
intelligence (AI). ChatGPT, as the latest AI technology, is
significantly impacting educational settings, requiring
ENTER
teachers to TITLE
adapt their strategies and materials to
accommodate student needs and preferences.

Role of ChatGPT in Education:

ChatGPT, with its natural-language capabilities, is

considered a valuable tool in language learning. It offers
personal tutoring, authentic conversation, and the
creation of language-learning resources. Educators
see potential for ChatGPT to assist in curriculum design,
lesson planning, and even assessment creation, reducing
manual workload.
Concerns and the Need for Assessment Reform:

Despite its advantages, ChatGPT raises concerns about plagiarism and

cheating, as it can produce responses and essays on demand. This
poses challenges to the authenticity of traditional assessments,
particularly written assignments and exams. Therefore, reforming
traditional assessment methods is crucial to maintain integrity and
adapt to AI advancements.

Purpose of the Paper:

The article seeks to explore alternative assessments (AAs) that could

be applied in English language programs to address challenges
introduced by AI, specifically ChatGPT. It aims to provide a theoretical
foundation for future research to refine learning assessments in the
context of AI-driven changes in education.
Alternative Assessments
A form of evaluation that assesses students' skills and knowledge through
practical, performance-based tasks in authentic, real-world contexts. Unlike
traditional tests, AA focuses on observable learning performance, encouraging
students to demonstrate their abilities through projects, presentations, and
continuous tasks, rather than solely through written exams.
 Performance-based
assessments (PBA)
Definition:
An assessment activity that requires students to construct a response,
create a product, or perform a demonstration

:It requires
A task to be performed or a product to be created and .1
some criteria for rating performances and products .2
:Purpose and Benefits
PBAs encourage students to demonstrate their learning authentically and
align with real-world applications. They are particularly effective in L2
education as they allow students to practice language skills in realistic
situations
 project
.An activity which focuses on completing an extended task or tasks on a specific topic

young learners: designing posters or preparing pop-up books

.adult learners: making newspapers, bulletin boards, sketches, and news broadcasts
To be systematic, teachers have to use some assessment criteria with descriptions
(e.g., appearance, quality, organization, the richness of ideas, progress in their
projects and how their projects will be evaluated.etc.) and give them to students as a
.guide on how to progress in their projects and how their projects will be evaluated
 Role-Play and
Simulations

•Definition:
• Role-Play: Students act out assigned roles in specific scenarios, usually in
pairs or groups.
• Simulations: Students enact real-life situations, requiring authentic
language use and interaction.
•Advantages:
• Enhances communicative skills through practice in realistic contexts.
• Encourages vocabulary and grammar application, boosts fluency,
pronunciation, and builds confidence.
• Provides a safe environment to practice real-life interactions and problem-
solving.
•Assessment Method:
• Teachers evaluate through rubrics focused on specific language skills,
including speaking, vocabulary use, and communicative effectiveness.
•Criteria:
• Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, fluency, pronunciation, interaction
quality, confidence, and task completion.
 Presentations and Demonstrations
•Definition:
Presentations involve giving a talk in class, which can be controlled,
guided, or free, depending on skill level. Demonstrations display
language abilities in practical tasks.

•Advantages:
Presentations help integrate language skills, encourage public
speaking, and create learner-centered experiences.

•Assessment Method:
Scored by teachers or peers using detailed rubrics that align with
assessment criteria.

•Criteria: Criteria include clarity, content accuracy, organization,

pronunciation, grammar, and engagement level.
 Interviews, Discussions, and Debates
•Definition:
• Interviews: One-on-one conversational assessments where students
respond to structured or unstructured questions, allowing for spontaneous
elaboration and topic shifts.
• Discussions: Small-group interactions focused on a specific topic, enabling
students to share ideas and practice conversational skills.
• Debates: Formal, structured arguments on specific issues, often with
assigned roles (moderator, participants, audience).
•Advantages:
• All three methods provide authentic communicative practice in L2 and
evaluate a range of skills, including fluency, vocabulary use, and
conversational competence.
• They allow teachers to observe spontaneous language use, argumentation,
and student interaction.
•Assessment Method:

•Interviews: Teachers evaluate through structured rubrics and conversational

guidelines to ensure focus and allow flexibility in responses.
•Discussions and Debates: Assessed using scoring scales that evaluate
coherence, fluency, pronunciation, relevance, and interaction.

•Criteria:

•Interviews: Clarity of responses, ability to elaborate, accuracy, vocabulary

range, and interaction quality.
•Discussions: Active participation, coherence, vocabulary use, relevance to
topic, and respect for conversational turns.
•Debates: Logical argumentation, fluency, confidence, vocabulary, and use of
supporting evidence.
 Writing Samples

Any form of student writing (e.g., creative pieces, essays, letters) used
to assess progress in language skills across genres and registers.

Advantages: Writing samples allow insight into students' grammar,

vocabulary, and expressive ability, highlighting areas for improvement
in a structured format.

Assessment method: Can be scored holistically for an overall

impression or analytically with criteria for grammar, vocabulary,
coherence, etc.

Criteria: Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, coherence,

organization, and adherence to the task prompt.
 Reports

Oral or written summaries of events, books, or topics that reflect language

proficiency and comprehension.

Advantages: Reports develop organizational skills, critical thinking, and

comprehension, making students accountable for content understanding and
language use.

Assessment method: Oral or written reports are assessed using rubrics or

checklists focusing on clarity, organization, and relevance.

Criteria: Content comprehension, clarity, organization, language accuracy, and

presentation.
 Story-of-Text Retelling
•Definition:
• A post-reading or post-listening activity where students recall and retell
a story or text either orally or in writing.
•Advantages:
• Enhances reading and listening comprehension, speaking, and writing
skills.
• Builds vocabulary through retelling and enables students to organize
information meaningfully.
• Encourages interaction and discussion, fostering a collaborative learning
environment.
•Assessment Method:
• Teachers can use rubrics or checklists focusing on clarity, completeness,
and accuracy in retelling.
• Techniques such as brainstorming, role-play, and using visual aids (like
pictures) can support students in this task.
•Criteria:
• For Oral Retelling: Comprehension, fluency, vocabulary use, and
ability to convey main ideas.
• For Written Retelling: Accuracy, coherence, grammar, vocabulary
range, and clarity.
 Cloze Test

•Definition:
• A task where students complete a text with missing words removed at
regular intervals (e.g., every seventh word), requiring them to predict and
fill in words based on meaning and structure.
•Advantages:
• Measures general language proficiency.
• Tests comprehension, vocabulary, and grammatical understanding.
• Encourages students to apply contextual clues to complete sentences
logically.
•Assessment Method:
• Evaluated based on accuracy in replacing words according to context and
grammar.
•Criteria:
• Correct word choice based on context, syntax, and overall cohesion in the
text.
 Open-Ended Questions

•Definition:
• Questions without fixed answers, allowing students to respond with
opinions, ideas, or creative expressions.
•Advantages:
• Encourages use of the target language meaningfully.
• Promotes active language production, fostering grammar, vocabulary,
and fluency.
• Supports multi-skill assessment, including reading comprehension,
vocabulary, and spoken/written expression.
•Assessment Method:
• Scored through rubrics assessing clarity, coherence, vocabulary use, and
grammatical accuracy in responses.
•Criteria:
• Content relevance, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary range, fluency,
and creativity.
 Self-Assessment (SA)
•Definition:
• A process in which students evaluate their own language skills and
learning progress, enhancing self-awareness and understanding of their
learning outcomes.
•Advantages:
• Improves essential L2 skills: writing, listening, speaking, and reading.
• Fosters active learning, motivation, autonomy, and independence.
• Encourages lifelong learning habits.
 Checklists Reflection Pieces
Students use checklists with specific Students write reflections (such as
skills or behaviors marked as present or learning logs, journals, or diaries) on
absent. This method helps learners track what they have learned. This
progress by noting achievements but process allows them to express
doesn’t detail quality. thoughts, challenges, and successes,
fostering deeper awareness and
engagement.

Rubics
Rubrics outline performance standards and criteria.
They may be holistic (overall score) or analytic (detailed
scores for different skills), helping students evaluate
their performance across specific areas.
 Self-correction Progress card
Students review answers using an These cards track achievement of
answer key, typically for objective course objectives, helping students
tests. This method encourages visualize progress over time.
independent learning and Students and teachers can tick off
accountability. skills as they are mastered.

Conference and interview Computer-Assisted Assessment

One-on-one or group discussions Digital tools (such as language learning
with a teacher enable students to apps) provide instant feedback on areas
set goals, discuss progress, and like grammar or vocabulary. These tools
receive personalized guidance. often adapt to the learner’s level,
supporting continuous, self-paced
improvement.
 Peer Assessment (PA)
Peer assessment is a method where students evaluate each other's work using
specific criteria or guidelines. This process encourages them to engage critically
with their peers' performance, fostering a supportive, collaborative learning
environment.

Advantages:

 Promotes Autonomy
 Builds Collaboration
 Increases Motivation
 Provides More Practice
 Develops Critical Thinking
 Portfolios
A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work over time, showcasing their
achievements, skills, and progress in specific learning areas. Portfolios can be
used in both paper and electronic formats and may include diverse artifacts,
such as written work, oral presentations, and self-reflections.

Advantages:

 Fosters Autonomy
 Promotes Reflection
 Enhances Motivation
 Supports Diverse Assessment
 Games

In language teaching, instructional games are used as engaging and interactive tools to
support language acquisition in a low-stress, enjoyable environment. When incorporated
purposefully, they encourage natural language practice, foster communication, and
enhance student cooperation.

Advantages:

 Encourages Interaction
 Creates a Relaxed Atmosphere
 Adaptable for Different
 Levels Promotes Engagement
 Teacher Observations
Observational assessment by teachers involves monitoring students in a natural, low-
stress environment, which complements formal assessments. By observing students’
progress in real time, teachers gather valuable insights to inform instructional decisions
and improve understanding of each learner's capabilities.

Advantages:

 Provides Insight Beyond Formal Assessment

 Supports Tailored Instructional Decisions
 Systematic and Consistent
 Flexible and Continuous
.

conclusion

 AI tools like ChatGPT can mislead educators in assessing true learning outcomes.

 Educators should adopt Alternative Assessments (AAs) to minimize reliance on AI.

 AAs should focus on practice-based learning and incorporate both formal and informal

learning.

 AI can help teachers gather insights into students' achievements and learning strategies.

 Assessment practices need to be reimagined to align with technological advancements in L2

pedagogy
THANK YOU

1403/08/20