Assessing ELT Pre-Service Teachers via Web 2.0 Tools: Perceptions toward Traditional, Online and Alternative Assessment

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the ELT pre-service teachers toward the traditional, alternative, and online assessment methods and examine whether the participants’ attitudes change toward the types of assessment after the tasks via Web 2.0 tools are implemented. In the light of these aims, the study was conducted with 40 second grade ELT pre-service teachers at a state university in the fall semester of 2013-2014 academic year. The study was conducted in a fourteen week period in which 6 different tasks with 7 different Web 2.0 tools were implemented. The data for this study were collected through pre-survey before the implementation, reflection papers during the implementation, and post-survey and semi structured in-depth interviews after the implementation of the tasks. The findings of the study indicated that the perceptions of the participants toward the alternative assessment via web 2.0 tools were positive before the tasks were implemented and it got more positive after the task implementation process. In general, the participants preferred alternative assessment to online or traditional assessment since they believed alternative assessment is motivating, enhances learning, provides continuous assessment of student progress, increases interaction, gives more detailed and practical feedback, and improves critical thinking skills. The results of both qualitative and quantitative data supported each other.