TESTING PRESENTATION

1. What kind of decisions do you make based on the results of students test performance?

2. Do you tell students, before they take a test, how you will judge their test performance?. If not why not? How do you report students’ test results, and how do you use those results?

3. Have you ever had a student or a group of students who just couldn’t do well on tests? What is your explanation of their difficulty? What did you or could you do about it?

4. How do you decide when and how often to test?5. Do you personally like taking tests? Explain

•Testing is one component in the evaluation process which provides information to make decisions.

•The test should be about: 1. What has been done? 2. How has it been done ?– performance3. What should I do with the results?

•A method for collecting information.

•A task or set of tasks that elicits observable behaviour from the test taker.

•Tests produce scores that represents attributes or characteristics of individuals.

What is it? It is about testing a specific topic.

What should we test?

In general: Language proficiency and intelligence.

Academic: Specific topics, knowledge and skills.

We can value more than one area for example:

Language: Listening ComprehensionMultiple options skillsListening and

comprehension

Evaluation is a whole process and the test is an important aspect in the learning process.

•Evaluation: An activity of gathering information to be used in making educational decision. (SS & Instructions)

•Methods for collecting information for evaluation purposes: Testing –along with questionnaires, interviews, observation, examination of documents and portfolios.

Testing

Assessment

Evaluation

The kinds of tasks that the takers are asked to perform:

-Reading comprehension- Cloze test- Dictation- Multiple choice- Listening for understanding.

They ask for some special abilities rather than just content.

There is not universal agreement about how to assess language proficiency. The ideal is to use multiple methods that together will provide an optimal result - validity

Measurement is part of our daily life

In education we measured our students’ qualities and abilities. The frame of reference is knowledge – ability.

E.g. temperature is measured with ref. to

the freezing and boiling of water (0 C – 100 C)

A language test is a set of tasks requiring observable responses to language or in

language , that can be scored and interpreted with

reference to …

It could be advantageous in some cases and under certain circumstances, but it should not be used to the exclusion of the other considerations about test content and method. Eg.CEF

Stanines (Standard nine): From 1 to 9. It includes a band of scores. In our context our range of value : D, I, A, S, E.

Test scores can derive meaning by reference to the performance of

others

Test scores can be interpreted with reference to domains of skill or knowledge.

Domain referenced tests provide interpretation of test scores relative to an identified domain of knowledge or skill.

Test scores can derive meaning by reference to a defined domain of skill or

knowledge

Similar to domain -> provides information for the interpretation of test scores with respect to a defined area of knowledge or skills.

Difference -> Depends upon the specific objecttive to be evaluated - particular lesson, unit .

Students should be tested in a ways that resemble how they were taught.

Students need to be familiar with the instruction.

Is quite useful for classroom evaluation purposes because the content and methods based on the instructional objectives and practices of specific

classroom.

1. LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE: Linguistic abilities or knowledge of the language. It is inferred from linguistic performance.

2. LINGUISTIC SUBSKILLS: Structural or grammatical features of the language. Eg.spelling, vocabulary, grammar, etc.

- discrete-point-test: focus on one specific aspect of language.

- Integrative tests: referred to a number of sub-skills operating in concert.

3. TESTING METHODS : -Cloze test-Dictation-Interview-Information gap-Multiple choice-Essay

4. Kind of information- Achievement tests: Provides info.,

about ss’ attainment in relation to instructional objectives.

- Proficiency tests: Ss. abilities to use the language in certain ways.

- Performance tests: Ss. ability to use the language to perform authentic tasks

5. Kinds of decisions

-Placement tests-Screening tests-Final examinations-Summative testing-Formative testing