Washback Effect of ParticipationAssessment on Preparatory Year Students’ Mid and Final Scores at Umm Al Qura University, Makah

Abstract

Participation Assessment is aimed to improve and motivate students learning inside the classroom during coursework. Participation Assessment affects course leaning which hasan influence on midterm and final scores. Sometimes the participationassessment washbackeffect is often not as effective as the policy makers hoped it would be. Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, has allotted 20%marks for participation in the university evaluation system for English language.The participation marks are designedto promote better learning attitudes among students. It is viewed that participation assessment will bring a positive change in students’ performance. The university assessment scheme is divided into 20% for participation, 30% for midterm and 50% for final exams. Participationmarks are purely based on formative assessment. This study was carried out toinvestigate the currentparticipation assessmenttools (class and home assignments,class participation, and attendance)washback effect on students’ mid and final scores. To investigate and analyzed the washback effect, First, data was collected out of the official grades of the first semester of academic year (2016-2017) of200 PreparatoryYear students at Al Qunfudah Campus – Um Al Qura University,Makah. Second, a questionnaire was asked from 200 Preparatory Year students to investigate the washback effect of the current tools of participation assessment as per students’ perspective.Thedescriptive data analysespointed outthe conflictingfunction of participation tools as a formative assessment; at one sideeasy tools of marks but at the other sideineffective agents for learning outcomes. The participation assessment tools are not applied properly to achieve the targeted objectives. The study shows the negative washbackeffect on final summative grades.