Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Assessment and Learning 14
1.1 The relationships between assessment and learning 14
1.2 Mastery Learning aligned with Psychometrics 16
1.2.1 The objectives model of curriculum 16
1.2.2 Psychometrics 19
1.3 Learning as a process：Assessment as research 22
1.3.1 The progressive philosophy of learning 23
1.3.2 The reconstructionism philosophy of learning 24
1.3.3 Curriculum design in learning as a process 25
1.3.4 Teacher as researcher：What about assessment？ 27
1.4 Towards integrating assessment with instruction 29
1.4.1 The invention of the formative concept 30
1.4.2 Towards integrating assessment and instruction 33
1.4.3 Behaviorist connections of the formative concept 34
1.5 Integrating assessment with learning 39
1.5.1 The constructivist claim 39
1.5.2 AfL：Its ups and downs 40
1.5.3 Advocating AfL 43
1.6 Chapter summary and discussion 48
Chapter 2 Re-conceptualization of the formative role of assessment 51
2.1 Redefining the relationship between FA and SA 52
2.2 Redefining FA and AfL：Two different visions 56
2.3 The formative role of assessment：A double-edged sword 59
2.4 Summary of the chapter 61
Chapter 3 Assessment as a cybernetic system 63
3.1 Revisiting the meta-disciplinary character of cybernetics 64
3.2 Control and feedback 67
3.3 The features of assessment as a cybernetic system 69
3.3.1 Assessment as an open，probabilistic system 69
3.3.2 Assessment as a complex system 71
3.3.3 Assessment as a self-regulatory system 72
3.3.4 The implications of assessment being a cybernetic system 73
3.4 Linking Chinese philosophy to cybernetics 76
3.4.1 The Yin-Yang Doctrine 77
3.4.2 The Doctrine of the Mean 80
3.4.3 Discussion 81
3.5 Towards a cybernetic model of assessment 82
3.5.1 Theoretical assumptions 82
3.5.2 The model 83
3.6 Chapter summary 88
Chapter 4 Accommodating the cybernetic model in China’s assessment in education：A historical perspective 90
4.1 The rationale and research methodology 90
4.2 A cybernetic understanding of China’s assessment system 93
4.2.1 Major themes in China’s ancient assessment history 93
4.2.2 China’s assessment system since 1949 97
4.2.3 The EFL education 100
4.3 Discussion 113
4.3.1 Assessment：A control system 113
4.3.2 Assessment：A non-deterministic system 115
4.4 Chapter summary 117
Chapter 5 Accommodating the model in classroom settings 119
5.1 Cross-case analysis 121
5.1.1 A general description of sources of data 121
5.1.2 Unit of analysis 126
5.1.3 Issue-based analyses 128
5.2 Fitting the model in China’s EFL tertiary education 168
5.3 Chapter summary 169
Chapter 6 Winding up the research 171
References 178
Appendices 191
Appendix 1a Letter of Consent （for the IOE courses） 191
Appendix 1b Letters for informant review （some samples） 192
Appendix 2 Sample session notes for Course 2/SPSS 194
Appendix 3 Lecturer’s post-session email to CDD students 195
Appendix 4 C1 Course materials 197
Appendix 5 An investigative questionnaire for C1，C2，C3 and C4 200