Continuous assessment frameworks within university English Pathway Programs: Realizing formative assessment within high-stakes contexts

Abstract

Universities have become increasingly reliant upon English Pathway Programs (EPPs) to expand enrolments of international students who otherwise fail to satisfy standard entry requirements, as determined by standardized tests of language proficiency such as IELTS and TOEFL. EPPs provide foundation programs for mainstream university courses, with particular attention to the language skills required for academic study. This article contributes to the work on alternative assessment within higher education by focusing on the use of classroom-based assessment within such programs, and the formative potential of continuous assessment frameworks in the context of higher education. We report on an Au..