HUE COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES29 SEPTEMBER – 8 OCTOBER

7:30 AM – 11:15 AM

INSTRUCTOR: MS. TONI HULLTH.IN.HUE@GMAIL.COM

CELL PHONE: 0123 592 42 33

ELT Testing and Assessment

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students should:

comprehend, feel comfortable with, and be able to put to use the terminology and fundamental concepts of language testing,

be aware of various test formats in order to select the items, tasks, and test types that are appropriate for a given situation,

be able to construct tests for the assessment of linguistic competence (grammar and vocabulary) and language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening),

understand language proficiency testing and have an awareness of some of the standardized tests for assessment of proficiency and program placement,

be able to use alternative forms of assessment in their classroom, in addition to (or in place of) traditional achievement tests.

Lectures will present overviews of key concepts in the field

Seminar/workshop discussion will relate these to a number of directed readings, from which students will develop their own practical approaches.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Course Evaluation

Attendance and in-class participation: 10%

Assignments:30%

Facilitating one reading discussion 5% Mid-session test on terminology 10% Poster presentation 15%Final exam:

60%

Syllabus and Readings:

Session 1 Monday29 September

Course overview and guidelines. Teachers and Learners: Issues in T&A. Introduction to basic concepts, principles and terminology in language testing and assessment.

Session 2Tuesday30 September

Theoretical foundations of testing. Types of tests and assessments.

Article: Beghetto, R. (2004) Toward a More Complete Picture of Student Learning: Assessing Students’ Motivational Beliefs  Facilitators: 1. 2. 3. 4. Textbook: Heaton, Writing English Language Tests, Chapter 10

Assignments:

Facilitating one reading discussion (5%)

Every day, 3-4 students will be assigned to lead small group discussions on the day’s assigned article reading.

Facilitators should come prepared with discussion questions and a thorough analysis of the reading in order to facilitate discussion.

Minimally, the discussion should answer these questions: Why was this article assigned? What is its relevance in the Vietnamese ELT context?

After small group discussion, the facilitators will report on key discussion points to the full class.

Mid-session quiz on terminology (10%)

On Monday, 6 October (Session 6), a short quiz will be administered on key terminology and concepts.

A review of possible items will be conducted on Friday, October 5.

Poster Presentation (15%)

Every student will do a Poster Presentation, which will be displayed in class on the final day of the course (Wednesday, October 6). Students will take turns describing the key elements of their presentation and responding to questions from fellow students.

The Presentation will be about a test they have designed (it can be a test used prior to this course or a test designed for this presentation).

Final Exam:

Exam Date: 17 December 2008

Content: Discussing key issues in Testing and Assessment with a

focus on practical classroom application Analyzing different test samples

Today’s Class:

1. Getting to know you2. Attitudes to Testing and Assessment3. Key concepts and terminology4. Discussion

Getting to know you:

NameIs he/she teaching now?

If so, where? If not, what is he/she doing?

Something personal to help Ms. Hull remember him/her (but not too personal!)

Attitudes to Testing and Assessment

What do teachers think about testing and assessment?

What do students think about testing and assessment?

Assessment:

Assessment: any evaluation of a student’s work

All tests are assessments – but not all assessments are tests

Test:

Takes place at identifiable times, under time constraints

Uses prepared administrative proceduresMust be able to be measured and evaluated and

reportedA definition: a method of measuring a person’s

ability, knowledge, or performance in a given domain Method Measure Individual Performance Domain

More about non-test Assessment:

Gives feedback to help students increase competence

Is an ongoing process Informal: e.g. impromptu feedback, marginal

comments on drafts Does not make fixed judgment or record results

Formal: e.g. review of journal writing or student’s portfolio May result in a recorded score, but it cannot be called a

test since it typically encompasses a wide, open domain and takes place over an extended period of time

Formative vs. Summative

Formative assessment aims to evaluate students in the process of “forming” their competencies and skills with the goal of helping them to continue that growth process.

Summative assessment aims to measure, or summarize, what a student has grasped, and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of instruction.

Norm-referenced vs. Criterion-Referenced Tests

Norm-referenced: each score interpreted in relation to a mean (average score), median (middle score), standard deviation (extent of variance in scores), and/or percentile rank

Especially Standardized Tests, e.g. TOEFL

Criterion-referenced: designed to give test-takers feedback, on specific course or lesson objectives

Especially classroom based tests

A pitch for Formative Assessment

A video about the Formative Assessment Classroom in Secondary Education

TASK: Watch and think about ways that the principles discussed are applicable in the ELT classroom.

A Brief History of Testing

Hot debate in 1970s and 1980sStarting point: discrete-point tests

Assumption: language can be broken down into component parts and tests (skills (e.g. reading) and units (e.g. morphology, phonology, discourse)

Oller (1979) argued that language is a unified set of interacting abilities that cannot be separated

Goal should be integrative test: e.g. cloze test and dictation

Cloze test – a sample:

The recognition that one’s feelings of (1) ____ and unhappiness can coexist much like (2) ____ and hate in a close relationship (3) _____ offer valuable clues on how to (4) ____ a happier life. It suggests, for (5) _____, that changing or avoiding things that (6) _____ you miserable may well make you (7) ____ miserable but probably no happier.

The Communicative Language Model

Canale & Swain (1980s) and Bachman & Palmer (1990s):

1.Grammatical or formal competence (knowledge of grammar, lexis, phonology)

2.Sociolinguistic competence (knowledge of rules of language use, i.e. what is appropriate depending on speakers, settings, topics)

3.Strategic competence (ability to compensate for imperfect linguistic resources in 2nd language)

4.Discourse competence (ability to deal with extended use in context)

New Goal

Communicative Language Testing shouldcorrespond to

non-test situations (that is, the target criterion or domain of

behavior)

Moving toward

Performance-Based Assessment More student centered Less paper-and pencil / multiple-choice More productive More authentic More open-ended responses More integrated tasks and procedures

New Views on Intelligence

Gardner: Multiple Intelligences: linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; musical; bodily-kinesthetic; interpersonal; intrapersonal

Sternberg: recognized creative thinking and manipulative strategies as part of intelligence

Goleman: “EQ” – importance of emotions

Traditional Alternative

One-shot, standardizedTimed, multiple choiceDecontextualizedScores onlyNorm-referencedFocus on “right”

answerSummativeOriented to productNon-interactiveFosters extrinsic

motivation

Continuous long-termUntimed, free-responseContextualizedIndividualized feedbackCriterion-referencedOpen-ended, creativeFormativeOriented to processInteractive performanceFosters intrinsic

motivation

Computer-Based Testing

Standardized testingClassroom testingSelf-testingPractice for test-takingSome individualization (through CAT)

Discussion #1:

Discussion #2:

Imagine the following scenarios (100 is a perfect score):a. You give a test and everyone scores 90-100.b. You give a test and everyone scores below 50.c. You give a test and the spread is: 25% above 85; 60% 70-84; 15% below 69.

Discuss among yourselves: What kind of tests do you think generate these sorts of scores? Is it good or bad? Why?

Discussion #3:

Your group will be assigned one of Gardner’s seven intelligences. Brainstorm some teaching activities that foster that type of intelligence. Then, brainstorm some assessment.

The seven intelligences are: linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; musical; bodily-kinesthetic; interpersonal; intrapersonal

Placement tests

Whole class

discussion

Diagnostic tests

Revising writing

Periodic achievement

tests

Speeches

Student oral

response to teacher

questions after video

Journals

Short pop quizzes

Oral presentations

Portfolios

Final exams

Discussion #4:

Formative Summative

Informal

Formal

Traditional Traditional AlternativeAlternative

One-shot, standardizedTimed, multiple choiceDecontextualizedScores onlyNorm-referencedFocus on “right” answerSummativeOriented to productNon-interactiveFosters extrinsic

motivation

Continuous long-termUntimed, free-responseContextualizedIndividualized feedbackCriterion-referencedOpen-ended, creativeFormativeOriented to processInteractive performanceFosters intrinsic

motivation

Discussion #5: Review the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches to

assessment.

Upcoming assignments:

For Tuesday, September 30:

Article: Beghetto, R. (2004) Toward a More Complete Picture of Student Learning: Assessing Students’ Motivational Beliefs at www.italldepends.pbwiki.com

Facilitators: 1. 2. 3. 4. Textbook: Heaton, Writing English Language

Tests, Chapter 10

For Wednesday, October 1:

Article: Kwok, L. (2008) Students’ Perceptions of Peer Evaluation and Teachers’ Role in Seminar Discussions at www.italldepends.pbwiki.com

Facilitators: 5. 6. 7. 8. Textbook: McNamara, Language Testing,

Chapters 1, 2, 3