-Review-

Qualitative methods of assessment are way of gathering information that yields results which cant be measured by/ translated into numbers.

Qualitative analysis is of course the opposite of quantitative analysis. If quantitative analysis we collect data that can be analyzed using quantitative methods which includes methods that rely on numerical scores or ratings.

In qualitative analysis we collect data that does not lend itself to quantitative methods but rather to interpretive criteria. It includes methods that rely on descriptions rather than numbers.

-Venn Diagram-

So why this analysis very important in language and literature assessment?

Very simple. Not all topics in language nor literature can be measured statistically. Examples of these are viewpoints, actions and characteristics which cant always be represented numerically. So thats why theres a need of qualitative approach.

So, when you are trying to understand the reasons & motivation for students behaviour toward the topics in language and literature you can use qualitative analysis.

There are various ways in which tests can be analysed qualitatively. Later the next reporter will discuss that. But first lets identify the ways of collecting qualitative data.

Categories of Approaches:

Reflection- aimed at getting an insight into the thinking processes and opinion of the test taker

This helps the assessor or the teacher to understand what is in his/her students minds. It can be used to assess whether the topic you have discussed and even the strategy you have used in teaching the topic helped your students learn what you intended.

Reflection can be as simple as having students address weeklyguided questionsin a written journal, a class discussion or a class-wide blackboard discussion.

Verbal report- Offer an insight into the thought process of the informants.

Verbal report is a counterpart of reflection its just that the assessor gain the insight of the test taker through test takers spoken words.

For example, the test taker might be asked simply to say everything that comes to their minds as they work on a task. Then, they might be asked to justify their answers. And then they might be probed/asked with some questions about the specifics of their reasoning.

To help decide the category of verbal report that will be collected, these are the variables that should be consider

Talk aloud or think aloud? Talk aloud- informants(test taker/the one who provides information) voice their thoughts Think aloud- voice their thoughts as well as other information such as physical movements

Concurrent or retrospective? Concurrent- The verbal report is given in real time( the rater watch videos and simultaneously verbalise what they observe) Retrospective- the given report is given afterwards (just after the test has been completed)

Mediated or non-mediated? Mediated- researcher occasionally intervenes Non-mediated- the researcher does not intervene some pointers, when using verbal reports in test analysis (simply without the presence of the researcher ex. the raters worked at home and recorded the test takers voice )

Diary Studies- Is another to get an insight into their thoughts

(You know what a diary looks like,right?)

There are a number of varieties of diary studies:Unstructured: the informant is free to write what he/she wants in whatever format.Guided: the researcher gives the informant guidelinesStructured: the researcher offers the informant a diary form with closed and open-form questions

But of course this way of gathering qualitative data also have some pitfalls. When using diaries in test analysis, the data can be hard to process. How? In unstructured dairies since the informant can just write anything he/she wants in whatever form then it could be hard for the rater/assessor to draw conclusion on it. Same thing goes with structured diaries, it only offer the information you specifically ask for.

The quality of the reflections, verbal reports and diary can be graded using:

a likert/rubric(set of criteria) if its quantitative and

open-ended questions, focus group, observation- qualitative (in conjunction with novice-expert rubric). A grading rubricworks well to communicate your expectations for quality work.

So there you go, Reflection, Verbal Report and Diary Studies are the categories of approaches in preparing qualitative data.