(06) BACKWASH

Backwash or washback is the effect evaluation has on teaching and learning. A good evaluation
should have a beneficial backwash effect on teaching and learning. If a test is not carefully
prepared, it will have a harmful backwash. For instance, if the content and methodology of the test
is not in keeping with the syllabus or the objectives of a course, there is likely to be a harmful
backwash.

The proper relationship between teaching and evaluating should be one of partnership. Evaluation
should support good teaching and where necessary apply a corrective influence on bad teaching.
If teaching is good and appropriate but testing is not, there is likely to be a harmful backwash. For
a test to have a beneficial backwash effect on teaching and learning, it should be valid and reliable.

Achieving a Beneficial Backwash

1. Test the abilities whose development you want to encourage

If you want to encourage oral ability, (in the primary classes) test oral ability. If you want to
encourage the development of both oral ability and ability to read and write, test both. Further it is
important certain abilities should be given sufficient weight in relation to other abilities.

2. Sample widely and unpredictably

Make sure a representative sample of the syllabus is tested. Include what is important to test and
not what is easy to test.

3. Use direct testing

A direct test requires the candidates to perform precisely the skill which we wish to measure. For
instance if we want to find out how well a candidate can write a composition we get them to write
compositions. In other words direct tests try to introduce authentic tasks which are similar to tasks
which the candidates will be doing in real life such as writing a note, letter, filling a form etc. If
we test directly the skills that we wish to develop, then practice for the test represents practice for
those skills which in turn will ensure a beneficial backwash.

4. Make testing criterion referenced

The purpose of criterion-referenced tests is to make clear what the candidates will have to be able
to do, and with what degree of success. This will help the candidates to have a clear picture of
what they have to achieve in order to be successful in a test.

5. Base achievement tests on objectives. Test objectives and course objective, should be the
same or correspond closely.

If the course objective is to enable students to use language functions outlined in the syllabus
spontaneously and appropriately, the objective of the test should be to measure this ability in the
candidates. If there is a mismatch between the test objectives and the course objectives, a
beneficial backwash cannot be achieved.

6. Ensure content validity

Include a wide sample of the syllabus, especially the important areas. Areas neglected in testing
will be neglected in teaching and learning too. For instance teaching the speaking skill is
neglected in many government schools in Sri Lanka because this skill is not tested at the G.C.E.
O/L or A/L examination.

7. Do not neglect the productive skills in order to make the test reliable

Tests should not include only objective items in order to ensure reliability and thereby neglect the
productive skills which are difficult to measure objectively. Such tests will lack content validity.
Furthermore, these skills will be neglected in teaching and learning too. Subjectivity of productive
skills can be minimized by structuring the questions well and by providing a detailed scheme of
marking.

8. Ensure test is known and understood by students and teachers

Make sure the teachers and students are familiar with the format of the test and the testing
techniques especially when a new test is being introduced. A prototype test paper will familiarize
the teachers and the students with the new test.

9. Make test items unpredictable

Whenever the content of the test becomes highly predictable, teaching and learning are likely to
concentrate on what can be predicted. In other words the instructional process will become exam
oriented.

(07) DISCRIMINATION

A good test should be able to discriminate among the different candidates and show differences in
the performance of the individuals in the group. For exam 70% means nothing at all unless all the
other scores obtained in the test are known. If almost all the candidates have scored 70% in the
test it clearly fails to discriminate between the various candidates.

The extent to which a test should discriminate will vary depending on the purpose of the test. For
instance, in many classroom tests the teacher will be very much concerned with finding out how
well the students have mastered the syllabus, (in other words, how effective her teaching has been)
and will for a cluster of marks around 80 — 90 percent. However, a selection test or a placement
test should discriminate the candidates to a great degree if they are to be considered good tests.

For the test scores to be spread out well and make finer discrimination, the test items in the test
should be spread over a wide difficulty level as follows:
1. extremely easy items
2. very easy items
3 easy items
4. fairly easy items
5. items below average difficulty level
6. items of average difficulty level
7. items above average difficulty level
8. fairly difficult items
9. difficult items
10. very difficult items
11. extremely difficult items.