Empowering teachers to innovate assessment: A collaborative research project
A collaborative research project jointly conducted by the University of Huddersfield in the UK and the VNU University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) under the British Council’s sponsorship investigated the landscape of Vietnam’s English language testing and assessment and teachers’ needs and wants. The findings revealed a tension between teachers’ assessment literacy and their practices and also between teachers’ needs and wants and lack of community or network for their sharing and professional development. The session unveils the status quo and proposes viable solutions to those tensions to ensure fairness and inclusivity among teachers in Vietnam. It showcases resources for teachers’ professional development with a focus on one of the research project’s deliverables – a set of assessment toolkits. Participants will have a chance to explore the toolkits through scenario-based analysis. Additionally, the session introduces an online platform for teacher assessment competence development, which is another outcome of the said research project. This platform is designed to connect teachers, researchers and any stakeholders who want to explore the toolkits and need professional advice and consultation on their practical assessment concerns and challenges. Furthermore, the session recommends several programmes for continuous in-service training that can guide teachers to conduct effective and bite-sized action projects to improve their assessment practices. All in all, the session aims at empowering Vietnamese teachers to innovate their English language testing and assessment practices from both theoretical and practical aspects.
Speaker bios
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Quynh (also known as Quynh Nguyen) holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is the founding director of the Center for Testing and Assessment at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS-VNU). She is currently the Director of the Department of Research, Science and Innovation at ULIS-VNU. She is also the Co-President of the Asian Association for Language Assessment (AALA). She has participated as a key person in many national and international projects on education and assessment. She reviews for some journals on second language acquisition and teacher education, and has presented and published on second language education and assessment.
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (Thao Nguyen) is a lecturer and researcher at VNU University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS). She has been working at the Center for Language Testing and Assessment at ULIS since 2015. She earned a Master’s degree in English Language Teaching from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. She has participated in different research projects on test development and examiner training. Her research interests include testing and assessment, teacher education and professional development.
Nguyen Thi Chi (Chi Nguyen) is a lecturer of English language and a researcher at VNU University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS). She is currently working at the Center for Language Testing and Assessment at ULIS. She obtained PhD degree in English teaching methodology at ULIS-VNU. She has involved in a number of projects of test design and examiner training. Her research interests include teacher professional development, testing and assessment, and young learner learning.
