Assessing Writing

Start with writing genres

Assessing Writing includes a mind map that groups written language into academic and job-related writing. Its examples include essays, reports and messages. The map titled Assessing writing also covers genres and connects grading with the purpose of the writing. These maps offer a starting point for university students and teachers who want to consider what kind of writing is being assessed.

After looking at the genres, compare them with the map on types of writing performance. It lists imitative, intensive, responsive and extensive writing alongside academic, job-related and personal writing.

Move from performance to assessment tasks

The map on designing writing assessment tasks covers imitative and controlled writing, as well as issues and scoring methods for responsive and extensive writing. Another map considers test purpose, language use, writing as performance assessment and test usefulness. Reading these after the genre maps can help you connect the kind of writing being assessed with the purpose and design of a task.

For a closer look at evaluation, the classroom assessment map includes rubrics, checklists, point scales and categories such as content and organization. A separate mind map covers the design of an assessment instrument for written expression. The flowchart Feedback and assessment of writing is also listed.

Use maps with questions

There are no quizzes on this topic page, but the maps can help you prepare questions about genres, writing performance or scoring methods. A free GoConqr account lets you make your own quiz and save your scores. You could answer those questions, then return to the relevant map to check the ideas you want to study again.

Explore the unit

Assessing Writing is a section of Language Assessment and Testing in Education and pedagogy (incl. teaching methods, curriculum, educational psychology). The topic page brings its writing-assessment resources together within that unit. Choose a map or the flowchart and follow the ideas that are most useful to your study or teaching.