DesigningClassroom

LanguageTests:6Cri&calQues&ons

EddyWhite,Ph.D.AssessmentCoordinator

CenterforEnglishasaSecondLanguage

UniversityofArizona

Thegoalofassessmentisto...

The goal of assessment has to be, above all, to support the improvement of

learning and teaching.

(Fredrickson&Collins,1989)

2010

Bestresourceforclassroom‐basedassessmentfor

ESL/EFL

[Source]

Whatisatest?

:theword‘test’

•  canrefertotradiPonal‘paperandpencil’orcomputerbasedtests(e.g.mulPplechoice,fill‐ins,shortanswers,essays,etc.)

•  or‘performanceassessments’(presentaPons,projects,interviews,orotheralternaPveassessments)

Atest...•  isamethodofmeasuringaperson’sability,knowledge,orperformanceinagivendomain.

•  isaninstrument–asetoftechniques,procedures,oritems–thatrequiresperformanceonthepartofthetest‐taker.

Tests–measuringfunc&on

Atestmustmeasure•  Sometestsmeasuregeneralability,whileothersfocusonveryspecificcompetenciesorobjecPves.

•  Examples

•  AmulP‐skillproficiencytestmeasuresgeneralability;

•  aquizonrecognizingcorrectuseofdefinitearPclesmeasuresveryspecificknowledge.

•  Atestmeasuresperformance,...

• but,theresultsimplythetest‐takersability,orcompetence.

•  Performance‐basedtestssamplethetest‐takersactualuseoflanguage,

•  butfromthosesamplesthetestadministratorinfersgeneralcompetence.

•  Awell‐constructedtestisaninstrumentthatprovidesanaccuratemeasureofatest‐taker’sabilitywithinaparPculardomain.

•  Construc&ngagoodtestisacomplextask.

TestsareessenPalcomponentsofa

successfulcurriculum.

‘Assessmentneedstobe‘fitforpurpose’

Assessmentisanareawherecontextisofparamountimportance.

(Brown&Abeywickrama,2010)

 Assessmentthatisfitforpurposeusesthebestmethodsofassessmentappropriateto:

 ‐thecontext  ‐thestudents  ‐thelevel  ‐thesubject  ‐theinsPtuPon

DesigningClassroomLanguageTests:6CriPcalQuesPons

ThesesixquesPonsshouldformthebasisofyourapproachtodesigning,administering,andmakingmaximumuseoftestsinyourclassroom.

1.Whatisthepurposeofthetest?

1.TestPurpose?•  WhyareyoucreaPngthistest,orwhywasitcreatedbyatextbookwriter.

•  WhatisitssignificancerelaPvetoyourcourse(forexample,toevaluateoverallproficiencyorplaceastudentinacourse)?

•  Howimportantisthetestcomparedtootherstudentperformance?

•  Whatwillitsimpactbeonyouandyourstudentsbeforeanda`ertheassessment?

Onceyouhaveestablishedthemajorpurposeofatest,itthenbecomeseasier

tospecifyitsobjecPves.

2.Whatarethe

objecPvesofthetest?

2.Testobjec&ves?

• Whatexactlyareyoutryingtofindout?

• Whatlanguageknowledgeand/orskillsareyouassessing?

3.HowwillthetestspecificaPonsreflectboththepurposeandtheobjecPves?

3.Testspecifica&ons?•  Todesignorevaluateatest,youmustmakesurethatthetesthasastructurethatlogicallyfollowsfromtheunitorlessonitistesPng.

•  TheclassobjecPvesshouldbepresentinthetestthroughappropriatetasktypesandweights,alogicalsequence,andavarietyoftasks.

4.Howwillthetestitemtypes

(tasks)beselectedandtheseparate

itemsarranged?

4.Selec&on&ArrangementofTasks?

•  ThetesttasksneedtobepracPcal.•  Forthetesttobevalid,theyshouldalsomirrortasksofthecourse,lessonorsegment.

•  TheyshouldbeauthenPc(i.e.reflectreal‐worldlanguageuse).

•  Thetasksmustbeonesthatcanbeevaluatedreliablybytheteacher.

5.Inadministeringthetest,whatdetailsshouldI

ahendtoinordertohelpstudentsachievetheirbestperformance?

5.HelpingStudentsAchieveBestPerformance?

•  Oncethetesthasbeencreatedandisreadytoadminister,studentsneedtofeelwellpreparedfortheirperformance.

•  AnotherwiseeffecPve,validtestmightfailtoreachitsgoalifthecondiPonsfortesttakingareinadequatelyestablished.

•  Howwillyoureduceunnecessaryanxietyinstudents?

•  Howwillyouraisetheirconfidence?•  Howwillyouhelpthemviewthetestasanopportunitytolearn?

6.Whatkindofscoring,

grading,and/orfeedbackisexpected?

6.Scoring,Grading,Feedback?

•  Theappropriateformoffeedbackontestswillvary,dependingonthepurpose.

•  Foreverytest,thewayresultsarereportedisanimportantconsideraPon.

•  Undersomecircumstances,alehergradeorscoremaybeappropriate.

•  Othercircumstancesmayrequirethattheteacherprovidedetailedfeedbacktothestudents.

DesigningClassroomLanguageTests:6CriPcalQuesPons

ThesesixquesPonsshouldformthebasisofyourapproachtodesigning,administering,andmakingmaximumuseoftestsinyourclassroom.

2010[Source]

DesigningClassroom

LanguageTests:6Cri&calQues&ons

EddyWhite,Ph.D.AssessmentCoordinator

CenterforEnglishasaSecondLanguage

UniversityofArizona