The Experimental Usage Of Performance Task In Assessing Reading Skill In A Singapore School

Singapore's social and cultural background is one of the causes for the lack of interest in learning the Chinese Language, among Chinese students. Hence, when the government is reviewing the teaching of Chinese language, its assessment format is one important area one can look into. In view of a change in the format of the National Examinations and a move towards "ability development" as the guideline for assessing Chinese language, it is suggested that a school-based reading and sharing performance task on Chinese books, be introduced. In addition, hard data will also be collected and analyzed to assess the impact of the performance task assessment on the relevance and significance of reading as a method in teaching the Chinese Language.The first chapter provides the background of the topic in discussion. The negative impact of teaching the Chinese language presently will be analyzed through the Singapore Secondary School Higher Chinese Language National Examinations' current assessment format (before 2006) . The Chinese Curriculum and Teaching Review Committee suggested revamping and a change in the assessment format. In order to coincide with the transitional period for national examinations' format which will focus on the comprehension in 2006, the constructivist approach in assessment- through assessing the performance task assessment - is proposed to assess the students' reading proficiency.The second chapter introduces the characteristics of performance task assessment and provides the rationale for the proposed assessment format. It also focuses on the teaching of the Chinese language through the constructivist approach, concept-based learning, differentiated curriculum, multiple intelligences and Understanding by Design and the assessment format on performance task assessment.The third chapter introduces the implementation of the school-based assessment format of performance task. To coincide with the impending changes in the teaching of the Chinese Language, it is recommended that a "Class Reading-cum-Sharing Club" as an example of a performance task.In the fourth chapter, a survey will be carried out to gather data on how the performance would develop students' linguistic ability, their creativity, affective modes and values. It would help to gauge whether this assessment format would develop and cultivate the students' interest in reading the Chinese media.The fifth chapter touches on the problems faced or difficulties encountered, when using performance task as the assessment format. It also discusses the details on the design and implementation of the performance task assessment and whether it fulfils the requirements of the educational theory.The concluding remarks reiterate my school's implementation of the performance task as the assessment format for reading and comprehension. Also, it is used to cultivate and nurture the reading interests of our students to tie in with the change in the assessment format in the national examination of the Higher Chinese Language Paper. Lastly, the remarks also analyzed the feasibility and problems encountered as a result of the change in the assessment of reading skills.