Middle school global test construction

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Groupe Scolaire Al Falah Privé

(Taza - Friday February 26th, 2016)

© Ed-Links-Morocco 2016

CONSTRUCTING AND EVALUATING

MIDDLE SCHOOL GLOBAL TESTS

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OVERVIEW

1. SPECIFICATIONS

2. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE TESTING

3. SECTIONS, TEST TECHNIQUES AND RUBRICS 3.1. The Reading Section 3.2. The Language Section 3.3. The Writing Section

4. WORKSHOP


Is item writing an art or a science? The best item development techniques combine elements of

both these intellectual activities. On the one hand, there is a fair amount of experimental method, which we might recognize as scientific, incorporated within the whole set of procedures for developing a good item, however, writing a good item is also a highly creative act. By the end of the process something new, powerful, and useful has emerged – a test instrument which has used words, symbols or other materials from a curriculum or a syllabus in a new way, often to serve a variety of educational purposes.

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CONSTRUCTING AND EVALUATING

MIDDLE SCHOOL GLOBAL TESTS


SPECIFICATIONS

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The writing of a successful test item begins with a specification. Test specifications are the blueprint to be followed by test and item writer and they are essential in the establishment of test construct validity. Test writers need to answer a wide range of questions.


1. What is the purpose of the test ?

2. What sort of learner will be taking the test ?

3. How many section should the test have ? How much time for each section ?

4. What text type should be chosen ?

5. What language skills should be tested ?

6. What langauge elements should be tested ?

7. What sort of tasks are required for each item ?

8. What test techniques are to be used ?

9. What rubrics are to be used ?

10. Which criteria will be used for assessment by markers ?

OTHER(s)……………………………………..


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1.1. PRACTICABILITYThe degree to which the test can fit into the actual circumstances proposed for its use (Time constraints and financial limitations).

1.2. RELIABILITYThe capacity of a test to produce consistent results on repeated administration.

1.3. VALIDITYA test is valid if it measures what it claims to measure.Content validity: the extent to which the content of a test adequately samples the field of knowledge and skills under investigationFace validity: the extent to which the test appears to test what it claims to test

1.4. ECONOMYThe capacity of a test to produce adequate results with the least expenditure of time, effort, resources and materials.

1.5. BACKWASHThe effect of testing on teaching and learning

1. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE TESTING


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2. SECTIONS, TEST TECHNIQUES AND RUBRIQUES


2.1.1. Reading Sub-skills

Testees should be able to:

Identify main ideas and details; Identify specific information;

Infer word meaning from the context; Transfer information from text to chart or table; Identify chronological order of events in the text;

Draw conclusions from the text.

2.1. READING SECTION


2.1.2. Text Types and Topics.

Texts need to be of an appropriate level of difficulty, and should preferably target issues related to the topics and themes

in the syllabus. They should also relate to testees’ interests, age, background knowledge and experience.

Reading texts could be in the form of letters, e-mails, biographies, film/book reviews, advertisements, and may include charts, pictures, diagrams, etc.


Three to Six of these techniques must appear in the reading comprehension section to guarantee appropriate coverage

of the reading sub-skills.

• Chart filling • Gap filling• Identifying • Information transfer • Listing• Matching • Multiple choice• Ordering• Sentence completion• Summary cloze• True/False with justification• True/False without justification• Wh-questions

2.1.3. Test Techniques


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2.1.4. RubricsRubrics are instructions that inform test-takers on how to perform test

tasks. They also inform them about the scores. Three to six rubrics from the list below must be used to test reading comprehension:

• ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.

• ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE?

• ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.

• ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? CORRECT THE FALSE ONES.

• ARE THESE SENTENCES TRUE OR FALSE? TICK THE RIGHT BOX.

• CHOOSE THE BEST TITLE FOR THE PASSAGE.

• COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WITH INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT.

• FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS FROM THE TEXT.

• FILL IN THE CHART WITH THE RIGHT INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT.

• FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS? PHRASES OR EXPRESSIONS THAT MEAN THE SAME AS.


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• Providing the correct verb tense or form

• Rewriting sentences

• Completing sentences

• Gap filling

• Matching

• Multiple choice

• Cloze procedure with list or with first letter provided

• Correcting errors

• Completing dialogues

2.2. LANGUAGE SECTION

2.2.1. Test Techniques

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2.2.2. Rubrics

1. Complete the following dialogue(s) appropriately

2. Choose the right answer

3. Correct the errors in the sentences.

4. Correct the underlined mistake(s)

5. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words or expressions from the list

6. Give the correct form of the words in brackets

7. Match the words with the corresponding definition/synonym/opposite

8. Provide the appropriate word for each of the following definitions

9. Put the verbs between brackets in the correct tense

10. Replace the underlined words with appropriate synonyms

2.3.1. Writing Sub-skills

The target writing sub-skills include the use of+ adequate and relevant content

+ appropriate text structure according to the targeted format

+ appropriate style according to audience

+ cohesive devices and transitions

+ correct use of mechanics

+ variety of sentence structures

2.3. WRITING SECTION



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2.3.2. Tasks related to writing

1. Developing a topic sentence

2. Writing a topic sentence

3. Transferring information

4. Completing a paragraph

5. Punctuating a paragraph

6. Rewriting a paragraph

7. Completing a dialogue

8. Describing a picture

9. Filling a diagram

10. Joining sentences

References

Alderson, J. C 2002 Conceptions of validity and validation. Paper presented at a conference in Bucharest, June 2002.

Angoff, 1988 Validity: An evolving concept. In H. Wainer & H. Braun [Eds.] Test validity [pp. 19-32], Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Bachman, L. F. 1990 Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: O.U.P.

Cumming A. & Berwick R. [Eds.] Validation in Language Testing Multilingual Matters 1996


19© Ed-Links-Morocco 2016

Education

Middle school global test construction