Page 74 - BUKU SYNOPSIS

necessary grasp of the content. This information is advantageous

for students in enhancing their learning process and for teachers in

offering scaffolding to facilitate student learning. There has been a

shift from the norm-referenced method to the criterion-referenced

approach in recent decades. In the context of evaluating writing, a

criterion-referenced approach assesses the quality of each

individual essay based on predetermined external criteria. These

criteria encompass coherence, grammatical accuracy, contextual

appropriateness, and other relevant factors. According to Cheng and

Fox (2017) and Mardapi (2017), when the objective of the

assessment is formative, the criterion reference technique is seen

as more appropriate for evaluating the level of proficiency attained

by students in the specific skills being targeted.

Regarding the nature of language assessment, the

development of a test to evaluate students' reading and listening

abilities can be accomplished by utilizing multiple-choice or fill-in-

the-gap formats. In contrast, the assessment of writing and speaking

skills is better suited for assigning tasks that require students to

engage in written composition or spoken communication.

McNamara (2000) highlights the significance of utilizing scales for

evaluating task performance, specifically in assessing writing

through implicit and explicit means. In the initial phase of

assessment planning, it is crucial to establish the appropriate

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