Assessing with games, an alternative to move from summative to formative evaluation

Abstract

This research aims to describe and analyze the use of a board game designed to assess the performance of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) students at A1 level, within the context of a Bachelor's degree project in French Didactics as a Foreign Language at the University of Guadalajara (by Brenda Lizeth Bañuelos Castañeda, who is both a student and a French language teacher). The identified problem was that students experience anxiety during summative assessments, leading them to make mistakes that they don't usually make, thus hindering the reliable evaluation of their communicative competencies. Through the implementation of a board game example designed to evaluate this group from the communication-action approach promoted by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a reflection is proposed on how this type of playful tool and the authentic situation in which it is applied allow for a more valid assessment of students. Based on the obtained results (less anxiety, increased motivation, more peer interactions, development of cultural competencies), the implementation of the evaluation with game is analyzed in light of different conceptual axes such as error pedagogy, the uncertain dimension, the grammar of cultural behaviors, and the question of subjectivity in evaluation. It is demonstrated that the game can be a valuable tool for assessment, provided that it is properly prepared and articulated with a pedagogical reflection from the evaluator.

Key words: game, evaluation, French as a Foreign Language (FFL)