Language Assessment

1. Language Assessment Instructor: Dr. Yan-Ling Hwang, Assistant Professor Class Time : Monday 1:10 a.m. - 2:50 p.m.Classroom : B28 大慶校區 Office : A26應語系研究室 Office Hours: Monday 11:00-12:00 ; Friday (By Appointment) Email: yanling@csmu.edu.tw

2. 課程介紹 • The course is designed to offer a comprehensive survey of essential principles and tools for second language assessment. Students who intend to be English teachers will be able to gain framed fundamental principles for evaluating and designing assessment procedures.

3. 授課目的 The students will be able to: • To differentiate traditional testing from continuous assessment. • To understand the principles of assessment and how they can be applied in practice. • To develop a critical awareness of language tests by evaluating the existing tests. • To practice constructing valid, practical and reliable way of assessment for use in the classroom.

4. 授課方式 • The course will include lecture, in class small and large group discussion, cooperative-learning activities, and presentation.

5. 參考書目 • Main textbook for the class: • Brown, H.D. (2004). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices. New York: Pearson. • Referenced Book • Bailley, K. (1998). Learning About Language Assessment. Heinle & Heinle.

6. Attendance • As you know already, I expect you to attend every class session and to come prepared. Attendance will be taken each class throughout the term. If you miss more than three classes, your final grade for the course will be lowered. Please remember: if you are not present, you cannot participate, and participation is necessary in this class. I expect you to come on time and ready to work. Coming late to class will lower your final grade.

7. Grading Policy 1. Review Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30%2. Test evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%3. Project (presentation + assessment plan) . . . . . . 35% 4. Work distribution & outline of test evaluation .. . .5%5. Attendance/participation/discussion . . . . . . . . . . 10%

8. Test evaluation (group of 5; oral presentation, 30-40 mins) *Purpose: Apply the principles learned in your reading and class lectures to evaluate an existing test (or a way of assessment). * Include the following in your evaluation: (p.30) - background information/history of the assessment/test chosen, - evaluation procedures (including all the criteria used in your evaluation, construct, stimulus material, practicality, validity, reliability, authenticity, washback, scoring criteria, test format), and - your conclusion/critique (both strengths and weaknesses of the test being evaluated).

9. Test evaluation (group of 5; oral presentation, 30-40 mins) ** Present all your information and necessary materials in the forms of handouts, PowerPoint, and/or transparencies in your presentation. * A list (hardcopy) of how you distribute the work and the outline of your presentation * presentation

10. Test evaluation checklist (group of 5; oral presentation, 30-40 mins) • General background information a. Title b. Authors c. Publisher and date of publication • Your theoretical orientation a. Test family: norm-referenced or criterion-referenced b. Purpose of decision: placement, proficiency, achievement, diagnostic c. Language methodology orientation – structural v.s. communicative d. Skill tested - Productive v.s. receptive - Channel: written v.s. oral e. Type of test : discrete-point v.s. integrative; subjective v.s. objective

11. Test evaluation checklist (group of 5; oral presentation, 30-40 mins) C. Test characteristics a. Reliability - types of reliability procedures used (test-retest, equivalent forms, internal consistency, interrater, intrarater) b. Validity - types of validity procedures used (content, construct, and criterion-related validity) c. Actual practicality of the test - cost of test - quality of items listed - ease of administration (time required…) - ease of scoring - ease of interpretation D. your conclusion/critique (both strengths and weaknesses of the test being evaluated).

12. Test evaluation (group of 5; oral presentation, 30-40 mins) ** Present all your information and necessary materials in the forms of handouts, PowerPoint, and/or transparencies in your presentation. * 11/5 A list (hardcopy) of how you distribute the work and the outline of your presentation * 11/12 presentation; email your file before presenting day.

13. Project (oral and written report) • Groups of 5 • In this written project you should develop an assessment plan for assessing a proposed class. You might want to adopt the concept of alternative assessment and/or design a paper-and-pencil test. Consult class lectures and the handouts (“Stages of test construction”) for the steps of designing a test. Your citation, if any, must be in MLA (or APA) format; be careful about plagiarism. Be sure to include page numbers (with names of the writers) and the following in your project.

14. Introduction Brief summary of background information (e.g., the nature of the proposed class, the purpose of the assessment) and/or test specifications (e.g., what kind of test it is to be, abilities to be tested, etc.), and your reason/rationale for your adoption of the assessment method(s). • Design The plan is meant for a complete program/course. Explain carefully and clearly what your assessment plan is, and if there is a test, how you come up with the test, including data collection, pretesting, and/or validation of the test. Include all information/materials (such as questionnaires, tests, subjects, and instructions to subjects). • Conclusion Problems you met in the process of your development of the assessment plan and/or test construction. • [Works Cited] Either MLA or APA format; must be consistent • Appendices] Some material from Design may be too long to include in the text of the project. If there is a test, a copy of your first and final versions of the test must be included.