SCORING METHODS FOR RESPONSIVE AND EXTENSIVE WRITING

1.    Holistic Scoring

Each point on a holistic scale is given a systematic set of descriptors, and the reader-evaluator matches an overall impression with the descriptors to arrive at a score. Descriptors usually (but not always) follow a prescribed pattern.

Advantages of holistic scoring include

• Fast evaluation.
• Relatively high inter-rater reliability,
• The fact that scores represent "Standards" that are easily interpreted by all persons,
• The fact that scores tend to emphasize the writer's strengths (Cohen,1994p.315),and
• Applicability to writing across many different disciplines.

Its disadvantages must also be weighed into a decision on whether to use holistic scoring:

• One score marks differences across the sub skills within each score.
• No diagnostic information is available (no wash back potential).
• The scale may not apply equally well to all genres of writing.
• Raters need to be extensively trained to use the scale accurately.

2.    Primary Trait Scoring

A second method of scoring, primary trait, focuses on "how well students write within a narrowly defined range of discourse" (Wciglc.2002,p.110). This type of scoring emphasizes the task at hand and assigns a score based on the effectiveness of the text's achieving that one goal. For example, if the purpose or function an essay is to persuade the reader to do something, the score for the writing would rise or fall on the accomplishment of that function, If a learner is asked to exploit the imaginative function of language by expressing personal feelings, then the response would be evaluated on that feature alone.

For rating the primary trait of the text. Lloyd-Jones (1977) suggested a four-point scale ranging from zero (no response or fragmented response) to 4 (the purpose is unequivocally accomplished in a convincing fashion). It almost goes without saying that organization, supporting details, fluency, syntactic variety, and other features will implicitly be evaluated in the process of offering a primary trait score. But the advantage of this method is that it allows both writer and evaluator focus on function. In summary, a primary trait score would assess.

• The accuracy of the account of the original (summary).
• The clarity of the steps of the procedure and the final result (lab report),
• The description of the main features of the graph (graph description),and
• The expression of the writer's opinion (response to an article).

3.    Analytic Scoring

Classroom evaluation of learning is best served through analytic scoring, in which as many as six major elements of writing are scored, thus enabling learners to home in on weaknesses and to capitalize on strengths.

Analytic scoring may be more appropriately called analytic assessment in order to capture its closer association with classroom language instruction than with formal testing. Brown and Bailey (1984) designed an analytical scoring scale that specified five major categories and a description of five different levels in each category, ranging from "unacceptable" to "excellent".