Reading Comprehension

Assessments

University of the Punjab , Department of Language & Literature. Lahore, Pakistan

Reading is a Purposeful Activity

A person may read in order to:

gain information verify existing knowledge enhance knowledgehave access to the literaturefor enjoyment

Reading Speed• Normal :

200 to 220 words per minute

Average:

250 and 350 WPM• A Good:

500 to 700 WPM• Exceptional Speed:

1000 WPM or more

Reading ComprehensionInteractive Process: between the reader and

the text

The Text Presents: Letters ,Words Sentences Paragraphs that encode

meaning

The Reader Uses: KnowledgeSkillsStrategies to determine what that

meaning is resulted in Comprehension (understanding of text)

Types of Comprehension

Literal Comprehension

Reorganization Prediction Inference Evaluation Personal

Response

Types of Comprehension

Literal Comprehension:

An understanding of the straightforward meaning of the text:

FactsVocabularyDates, TimesLocations

Types of Comprehension

Reorganization: A literal understanding of

the text Student use information

from various parts of the text for additional understanding

Types of ComprehensionPrediction:

• To determine what might happen next or after a story ends

• Students use theirUnderstanding of the passageKnowledge of the topic and Related matters

In a systematic fashion

Varieties of Prediction: While-reading Post- reading

Types of ComprehensionInference:

It involves students combining

their literal understanding of the text with

their own knowledge and intuitions

Types of ComprehensionEvaluation:

It requires the learner to give a global or comprehensive judgment about some aspect of the text

Personal Response:

It requires readers to respond with their feelings for the text and the subject

The answers are not found in the text; they come strictly from the readers

Types of Comprehension

Objectives of Reading Tests

• Reading comprehension test can help you to:

– improve vocabulary– grammar– logical thought ability

Some tips for Improving Reading Skills

• Practice reading every day• You should read different fields to improve

your vocabulary• Take note all new words and learn them• Try to answer all the questions• After answer all the questions• Check the key and read the passage again to

find out the mistake you have faced and deeply understand the passage you have read

Reading Techniques• Scanning: You try to find a particular piece of information.

You read from top to down of the text quickly to find the specific information you need to answer questions.

• Skimming: You try to gather the most important information as quickly as possible. You read from top to down of the text quickly and note important information.

• Intensive reading: You try to find the details of a specific information. Example question: What does "intensive" in line 5 mean?

• Extensive reading: You try to find general information of a passage. Example question: What is the best title for this passage?

Types of Reading Comprehension Test

• Multiple Choice Questions

• Short Answer Questions

• True/False Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

A student chooses one answer from a number of choices

Parts of a MCQ :

A stem the text of the question

An options the choices provided after the stem

The key the correct answer in the list of options

Distracters the incorrect answers in the list of options

Example of a Multiple Choice Question

Q1. Where did Norma put the lamb chops?stem

a) In the oven

b) In the broiler Distracters

c) In the freezer key

d) In the basket

AssessmentsStudents’ knowledge :

to assess the depth and breadth

Components of Blooms taxonomy:

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis and

Evaluation can be tested through MCQs

It require less time:

to administer for a given amount of material

AssessmentsA comprehensive Evaluation

of the candidate's extent of knowledge

Better Measurement Tool : MCQs responses are easily scored with accuracy and objectivity

The strongest predictors : of overall student performance

Creativity : cannot be tested

Rote Learning: some students engage in rote learning

Limited Types of Knowledge:

is assessed by MCQ tests

Low-order Skills: MCQs are best for testing well-defined or

lower-order skills

DisadvantagesNo Credit for knowing :

If student selects the wrong answer

A Chance of Receiving A Mark:

To select a random answer

Changing Answers

“right to wrong" changes is 20.2%

"wrong to right" changes is 57.8%, nearly triple

Conclusion• MCQs have been criticized as a

"ridiculous kind of mechanization" that transforms knowledge in crossword puzzles

• MCQs area legitimate method of competence testing

Short Answer Questions

• An Effective Measure of a student's ability to accurately recall specific, target information

• The answer shows that the student understands what the question is asking

AdvantagesRequires Cognitive Ability to

generate answers

Promotes more in-depth study

as students must recall answers

Effective for assessing Information

who, what, where, and when

Provide diagnostic information

when looking at types of errors

Quicker for students

to complete than MCQs

Effective

as either a written or oral assessment

DisadvantagesGenerally Limited

To knowledge To comprehension questions

Rote Learning: Encouraging rote memorization

May overestimate learning due to bluffing

Accuracy of Assessment

may be influenced by HandwritingSpelling skills

Difficult to Write

items so that desired knowledge is clear

ConclusionOne means of measuring this

type of higher-order understanding

short answer items can also be utilized to assess

knowledge Comprehension

understanding Application Synthesis Analysis, and

Evaluation levels

True/False (binary-choice) Questions

• A true-false questions is a form of the multiple-choice format

• There are only two possible alternatives

AdvantagesEfficient Method of

Testing

a wide range of material in a short period of time

Well Suited for Measuring knowledge,comprehensive, and

Application levels of understanding

AdvantagesTo measure a student’s

ability:

To identify whether

statements of fact are accurate or not

To recognize the accuracy of a declarative statement

DisadvantagesMay overestimate learning

due to the influence of guessing

Difficult to differentiate between effective difficult items and trick items

Often leads to testing of trivial facts or bits of information

DisadvantagesGenerally less Discriminating

than multiple-choice items

Often criticized for

encouraging

rote memorization

ConclusionThey can also be combined

within a multiple-choice to create the more complex assertion-reason item

However, true-false questions do have a number of limitations