Testing - AMT - Chapter 11 Flashcards
Why was it taken for granted that
to construct reliable and valid test was:
- Easier: Speaking + Writing
- Harder: Listening + Reading
”- Scoring (objective/subjective)
- Speak + Write = Observable
- We want ““see”” listening & reading through reinvestment tasks
“
Problem of testing reading
- Uncertainty of skills involved
- Difficult to evaluate successful measurement
Testing Reading Operations
(the two types of operations)
- Expeditious reading operations (quick and efficient)
- Careful reading operations (slow and careful)
Expeditious reading operations
(Categories)
- Skimming
- Search Reading
- Scanning
Careful reading operations
(key words + category)
- identify
- interpret
- outline
- distinguish
- recognize
- MAKE INFERENCES
4 types of Reading ability
- Skimming
- Scanning
- Search Reading
- Careful Reading
Skimming
General Idea (quickly & efficiently):
- main idea
- establish the structure
- decide relevance
Search Reading
- Find info on predetermined topic
Scanning
- Specific words/phrases
- Figures, percentages
- specific index item
- specific name, bib.ref.
Propositional inference
- Do NOT depend on information from outside the text
Factor favorised OVER VALIDITY
Practicality
Pragmatic Inferences
Combines Outside Reading info + Into Reading info
Propositional vs. Pragmatic inferences
- Propositional = Text Only
- Pragmatic = Knowledge + Text
Careful Reading
- details
- inferences (analysis)
- b/w the lines
Listening/Reading
vs
Writer
- Interact with Writer
- Not Passive
When tested for Vocabulary+Grammar when Reading
= –validity
A Text
Good for Reading = Good for Listening?
- Not necessary
- Listening text needs to be Real Life
While Writing items (to test reading)
- DO:
- Present items in the Text Structure order
- Make items independant (do not answer other questions)
Test Reading
1st Step
- Always Define Construct
- Question 1: Purpose of Reading
Better Measurement of Reading
Directly
When you test reading
- You Should NOT
- Test Writing
A Good DIRECT method to test reading
- With all same background students:
TRANSLATION
Best Method to test Reading+Writing Simultaneously
Summary Writing
Specification of text types Expected for Candidates
- Parameters
- Types (text)
- Forms (text)
- Graphic features
- Topics
- Style
- Intended Readership
- Length
- Readability
- Range of Vocabulary
- Range of Grammar
Text types/topic should be Adapted to Context
- Characteristics of Ss
(not too much: they still have to read it, not know all about it)
Text Forms
- Choice
Text form = description, argumentation, narration, etc.
- Choose from curriculum
Define Topics
- General: non-technical
or
- Relation/Candidates: Familiar
Why Specify so much Text to include in test
- Validity: Representative of Candidates Ability
- Backwash: Narrow type tested, Narrow type practiced
Testing Reading
3 Steps of Creation Process
- Specifying what the candidate should be able to do
- Setting the Task
- Scoring
Specifying what the reader should be able to do
- Testing Reading
- Operations
- Text
- Speed
- Criterial Level of Performance
Speed
- words/minutes
- expeditious not expected to read all the words
Criterial level of performance
- NOT w/ norm-referenced testing
- Reading should be:
- Criterion-Referenced Testing.
Successful choice of text depends on practice
- experience
- judgement
- common sense
Selecting texts
- Tricks
- Keep Specifications in Mind
- Length (appropriate)
- Amap/passages (valid.+rel.)
- interest of candidates
- avoid text w/ info candidates’ general knowledge
Writing items
- reading
- Measure ability in which we are interested
- Elicit Reliable behaviour
- Allows Reliable scoring
(Reading) - Test Technique
Identifying Order
Multiple Choice
(need to understand Question + Text)
(Reading) - Test Technique
Identifying Referents
- Part of micro-skills (what does it stand for)
(Reading) - Test Technique
Guessing word meaning from context
Micro-skills (find a word in paragraph with same meaning)
- not only to guess but understand context
Testing Reading (which language for items + Responses)
- within candidates ability
- minimal demand on writing ability
Writing items for Reading
- Procedures
- Specify Operations
- Determine tasks reasonable for Candidates
- Draft items (par.+lines #, collegues, modify text)
