It is all about common sense!

Hi everyone! This entry is about Chapter 11: Assembling and Scoring Tests.

While reading the chapter I came to realize that the authors we´ve read had provided such a comprehensive explanation of all the concepts related to assessment, that every new concept they explain rings a bell and relates to something else.  To be honest, that made the chapter a little repetitive; however, I consider that thinking those concepts over and over again led me to conclude that what Genesee and Upshur are trying to emphasize this time is that at the end of the day the best advice they can give to teachers is to follow their common sense.  

Teachers need lots of common sense for every decision they make. I looked up the meaning of the word and the dictionary says that it is “the ability to behave in a sensible way and make practical decisions”. It sounds very straightforward in the definition but let’s face it, it is not so easy when you try to put that into practice. When it comes to designing tests, we need common sense to know how to limit the time for each of the language skills; how to provide instructions which are clear enough so that they don´t interfere in students showing what they really know; how to come up with different sources of data so that we can triangulate test results; and finally, how to order test items in a way that is beneficial to most students.

So the question is, how can we develop that common sense? I think the best way of doing it is by “being aware” and that implies mastering all the concepts related to assessment and also knowing ours students learning styles and needs. What do you think? Did you feel the same while reading the chapter? Do you consider that common sense is important? If so, why?