Rethinking Language Assessment In The Digital Age:
From Measurement To Meaning Through Assessment Of, For, And As Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21154/tsaqofiya.v8i1.1111Keywords:
Digital Assessment, Language Assessment, Philosophical purpose of assessmentAbstract
The rapid advancement of digital technologies has transformed language assessment through online testing, automated scoring, and AI-based feedback. However, existing literature overwhelmingly prioritizes technical efficiency and measurement accuracy, leaving a critical research gap regarding the underlying pedagogical and philosophical purposes of digital evaluation. To address this, this study focuses on re-evaluating the conceptual foundations of digital language assessment through the tripartite framework of Assessment of Learning (AoL), Assessment for Learning (AfL), and Assessment as Learning (AaL). The objective of this paper is to examine how digitalization reshapes the aims of assessment and address the central problem of whether digital environments privilege certain assessment functions over others. Grounded in contemporary assessment theory (AoL, AfL, AaL), this qualitative conceptual review argues that current digital practices heavily privilege AoL (focusing on standardization and accountability), while reducing AfL to procedural feedback and largely marginalizing AaL, which requires metacognitive reflection and learner agency. The study concludes that without a clear philosophical orientation, technology-driven evaluation risks reducing education to mere automated measurement. Crucially, this paper offers a theoretical contribution by bridging technological innovation with assessment philosophy, providing a framework to align digital language assessment with holistic learner development and educational equity.
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