Culturally Designing Online Language Classroom Assessment

Abstract

Although classroom assessment is well documented to cultivate learning and assist learners in achieving their goals and objectives, little is known about online classroom assessment practices in Asian EFL contexts. This study explores Vietnamese EFL teachers' synchronous online classroom assessment from a face-saving perspective. Its aims were twofold: (1) to explore how Vietnamese EFL teachers consider the face-saving culture when assessing students and (2) to investigate students' beliefs about the teachers' assessment practices. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with six teachers and twenty students, and a questionnaire was administered to 224 students. The results showed that the students generally preferred private and anonymous feedback, as their weaknesses were not disclosed to their classmates. To protect the students' face, the teachers divided students into small groups for assessment and feedback or privately provided feedback to individual students. This does not mean Vietnamese students were likely to reject feedback, but they wanted to avoid causing conflicts among classmates. The results suggest culturally designing classroom assessment to suit the learning culture of Vietnam.