Language Assessment Courses: An Investigation of the Course Instructors’ Pedagogical and Assessment Practices
Table 3
A general outline of the topic covered in both classes.
Class
Teaching materials
Content covered
Class A
Farhady, et al. [38], chps 1-14 Brown [41], chps 1,2,4, and 5
Introduction to testing Different types of tests (mainly traditional assessment types, including objective/subjective, achievement tests, high-stakes/low-stakes, etc.) Functions of language tests (prognostic tests/selection Tests/placement tests/aptitude tests proficiency) NRT/CRT The structure of an item/ Classification of item forms Holistic/analytic approach to scoring NRT item analysis Tabulation of data Descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency & variability) Different steps to the process of testing Interpreting test scores Concept of reliability and validity and strategies to estimate them Testing language skills/subskills Concept of practicality in assessment Cloze and dictation type tests
Importance of testing/decision making/test, measurement and evaluation Functions of language tests (prognostic tests/selection Tests/placement tests/aptitude tests proficiency) Classification of item forms (selected/open-ended items) Structure of an items Principles for constructing selected-choice/matching items Tabulation of data Basic statistics in testing (measures of central tendency & variability) Different steps to the process of testing Concept of reliability and validity and strategies to estimate them Testing language skills/subskills Theories of language testing (discrete-point approach/integrative approach/functional approach) Problems with discrete-point/integrative tests Cloze and dictation type tests
