Examining the Generalizability of Direct Writing Assessment Tasks. CSE Technical Report 718.

Abstract

This study investigated the level of generalizability across a few high quality assessment tasks and the validity of measuring student writing ability using a limited number of essay tasks. More specifically, the research team explored how well writing prompts could measure student general writing ability and if student performance from one writing task could be generalized to other similar writing tasks. A total of four writing prompts were used in the study, with three tasks being literature-based and one task based on a short story. A total of 397 students participated in the study and each student was randomly assigned to complete two of the four tasks. The research team found that three to five essays were required to evaluate and make a reliable judgment of student writing performance. Examining the Generalizability of Direct Writing Assessment Tasks Performance assessment can serve to measure important and complex learning outcomes (Resnick & Resnick, 1989), provide a more direct measurement of student ability (Frederiksen, 1984; Glaser, 1991; Guthrie, 1984), and help guide improvement in instructional practices (Baron, 1991; Bennett, 1993). Of the various types of performance assessment, direct tests of writing ability have experienced the most acceptance in state and national assessment programs (Afflebach, 1985; Applebee, Langer, Jenkins, Mullins & Foertsch, 1990; Applebee, Langer, & Mullis, 1995). Advocates of direct writing assessment point out that students need more exposure to writing in the form of instruction and more frequent examinations (Breland, 1983). However, there are problems associated with using essays to measure students’ writing abilities, like objectivity of ratings, generalizability of scores across raters and tasks (Crehan, 1997). Previous generalizability studies of direct writing assessment