Journal 3: Reliability and Washback

I made a progress! I didn’t come late this time, and I hope that I can keep going like this to other classes. So did my friends. The number of my friends that came on time increased, and it so much better than before. This was my 3^rd meeting of language assessment class.

As usual, before we learn new lesson, we reviewed what has been taught last week: validity. Hence, we have deeper insight related to it. We analyzed some test items by contemplating the construct validity of the items, so we knew what knowledge and ability which is going to be tested by the items. Other than that, we were be told several terms regarding assessment like test task, test item, lesson plan, and test taker.

After that, we went on to the new lesson which called reliability and washback. Term one, reliability, it refers to consistency. What kind of consistency? The test. Thus, the result of the test is consistent, hence it can be said that the test is reliable. Reliability of test can be caused by several factor, such as student-related reliability, it came from the condition of the student itself who became a test taker. How is health condition of the student when the test is held? Is he in trouble or not? However, it also can be effected not only by the student, but also by the examiner. Does the examiner teach lesson which is tested? Does he oversee the student when the exam is held? It is called scorer-related reliability. It is also influenced by all the things related to the time when the test is held e.g. conducive situation and clear test item paper. Anyway, this is what frequently happens during examination: unclear test item. Such things called test administration reliability. The test is reliable depends on the test itself, it is known as test reliability. In brief, reliability is essentially a test that you can trust, and to know it is trusted is by observing those aspects, namely: student, examiner, administration, and the test.

Term two, washback also known as backwash and consequential validity. Washback is a test effect. The test gives influence to the way students are taught. For example: In Indonesia, there is a final exam namely national examination that determines whether a student pass or not. There will be several weeks specially to prepare student in facing the national examination. Those weeks will not be used for teaching and learning activity, but for discussing hundred of test items regarding to the course which will be tested. The national examination certainly effects the way students are taught, therefore, basically, it influences teaching and learning activity. Washback is very important since it has essential effect to the learning activity. Therefore, a test must be qualified, thus leads to qualified teaching and learning activity.

Time has shown at 09.30, class must be over. We got new knowledge which called reliability and washback which sharpen our insight about assessment, and I was hungry, anyway! I did come on time, but I sacrificed my breakfast.