Innovation in Language Learning

Self-assessment in language pedagogy has been discussed in different dimensions, but it has not been explored enough in different contexts (Ünaldı, 2016). Compared to self-assessment, negotiated-assessment is a relatively new research topic (Ünaldı and Bardakçı, 2015). Since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, online education and e-learning have become an integral part of any kind of education. The concept of e-learning is older than the COVID-19 pandemic, but in the related literature, e-assessment has not been discussed enough. In a recent study, it was suggested that for students taking online lessons, studying from home required greater self-discipline and motivation, and it brought about problems in both (Aristovnik et al., 2020). This study tries to deal with these issues taking the stand that e-assessment is an equally important part of e-learning, and motivating students for online classes might be a greater issue than it sounds. This study reports on a negotiated-assessment study carried out just before the pandemic. A group of language teacher candidates were assessed through negotiated-assessment and afterwards interviewed about the effects of this type of assessment on their motivation for learning. The results suggest that self and/or negotiated assessment could be a part of the solution to lack of motivation in e-learning.

References:

• Aristovnik, A.; Keržič, D.; Ravšelj, D.; Tomaževič, N.; Umek, L. Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Life of Higher Education Students: A Global Perspective. Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8438.

• Ünaldı, İ., & Bardakçı, M. (2015). Negotiated assessment of EFL teacher candidates through online discussions. March, 671–677.

• Ünaldı, İ. (2016). Self and teacher assessment as predictors of proficiency levels of Turkish EFL learners. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(1), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.980223