ERIC Number: EJ1168852
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Feb
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1094-3501
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Does the Test Work? Evaluating a Web-Based Language Placement Test
Long, Avizia Y.; Shin, Sun-Young; Geeslin, Kimberly; Willis, Erik W.
Language Learning & Technology, v22 n1 p137-156 Feb 2018
In response to the need for examples of test validation from which everyday language programs can benefit, this paper reports on a study that used Bachman's (2005) assessment use argument (AUA) framework to examine evidence to support claims made about the intended interpretations and uses of scores based on a new web-based Spanish language placement test. The test, which consisted of 100 items distributed across five item types (sound discrimination, grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary), was tested with 2,201 incoming first-year and transfer students at a large, Midwestern public university. Analyses of internal consistency and validity revealed the test to be reliable and valid with regard to its functionality, the content covered on the exam, and the consistency with which placement decisions could be made. Findings are discussed in light of the AUA model developed for the placement test, and practical suggestions for university-level language program instructors and testing administrators are outlined.
Descriptors: Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Spanish, Computer Assisted Testing, Student Evaluation, Language Tests, Student Placement, College Freshmen, Test Validity, Test Reliability, Web Based Instruction, Scores, Auditory Discrimination, Grammar, Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Scoring, Data Analysis
University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center. 1859 East-West Road #106, Honolulu, HI 96822. Tel: 808-956-9424; Fax: 808-956-5983; e-mail: llt@hawaii.edu; Web site: http://llt.msu.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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