Post 277: How have Writing Assessments changed through the decades?

How have Writing Assessments changed through the decades?

From 1950-1970, Writing Composition tests consisted of a multiple choice grammar test. The Grammar Translation method of teaching was in vogue at the time, so to show you are good at writing, you had to show you could use proper grammar and punctuation.

From 1970-1986, Writing Placement tests were essay tests that students would write in one session. This test measured how well a student could write an essay. Did the student have proper essay structure? Does he/she have a thesis statement? Does he have body paragraphs that matched the thesis? The focus was on writing as a finished product.

When I went to SUNY at Stony Brook, I was given a Writing Placement test to see if I needed to take the Freshman English Composition class. I was given 90 minutes to write an essay on an assigned topic. American students (Native speakers of English) took the test in one room, and ESL students (International Students) were to take their English Composition test in another room. The teachers graded our tests holistically.  You wrote one paper and you got graded on that one paper. My paper was a finished product showcasing how well I could write.

From 1986-Present

Now, writing tests are given based on Writing Portfolios so that teachers can measure how well a student has progressed through time. This kind of assessment emphasizes Writing as a Process. Each draft of the paper gets better and better as students learn to fix their mistakes with each draft. There is a focus of assessment to assess the writer's progress.

Universities use a more process-oriented approach to writing assessment these days. I have seen a mixture of all three approaches, an essay exam, a grammar test, and writing portfolios are all used as writing assessments. It is important that writing assessments be authentic, meaningful, and have a real life context to measure students' progress.