English Language Office

Teacher Development Workshops and Presentations

Assessing Academic Writing

Preparatory School & DELSU, Atilim University, Ankara

December 12, 2007

By Dr. Craig Dicker - English Language Officer, Ankara

Proficiency Based Academic Writing Assessment: The assessment of writing samples has often been dubbed as subjective and non-transparent. With the introduction of proficiency (or standards) based approaches to writing assessment in the U.S. and EU, the challenges of producing and administering transparent writing exams that are valid and reliable has become realistic. This presentation will begin with an overview of proficiency-based assessment instruments. The process of producing proficiency standards for academic writing situations will be discussed. Participants will be introduced to two proficiency-based writing assessment systems. The relevancy and applicability of these systems to the local context will be explored.