Poznámka: Vzhľadom na náročnosť úprav grafickej aobsahovej stránky sú texty ponechané vpôvodnej podobe.
Marcel Augustin
1. Achievement Tests
An achievement test is a test of developed skill or knowledge. The most common type of achievement test is a standardized test developed to measure acquired learning, skills and knowledge learned in a given grade level, usually through planned instruction, such as training or classroom instruction, in a specific subject area such as reading or arithmetic, in contrast to an intelligence test, which measures potential ability or learning capacity. These tests are available to assess all grade levels and through adulthood. The test procedures are highly structured so that the testing process is the same for all students who take them. The tests are scored the way that students' answers are analyzed and scored according to specific guidelines required by the test publisher. The results are calculated into a raw score. Raw scores are converted into standard scores using appropriate tables for a child's age, and in some cases, time of school year. The resulting standard scores provide data to compare the student's abilities to others his or her age. Scores are interpreted using terms such as average, above average, and below average. Achievement test scores are often used in an educational system to determine what level of instruction for which a student is prepared, their academic strengths and weaknesses. High achievement scores usually indicate a mastery of grade-level material, and the readiness for advanced instruction. Low achievement scores can indicate the need for remediation or repeating a course grade. When compared to intelligence test scores, achievement scores tell whether or not a child has the severe difference in ability and performance that indicates a learning disability diagnosis. These scores also provide important information to help develop the child's individual education program. When writing achievement test items, writers usually begin with a list of content standards (either written by content specialists or based on state-created content standards) which specify exactly what students are expected to learn in a given school year. The goal of item writers is to create test items that measure the most important skills and knowledge attained in a given grade-level. The number and type of test items written is determined by the grade-level content standards. Content validity is determined by the representativeness of the items included on the final test. Under No Child Left Behind, achievement tests have taken on an additional role of assessing proficiency of students. Proficiency is defined as the amount of grade-appropriate knowledge and skills a student has acquired up to the point of testing. Better teaching practices are expected to increase the amount learned in a school year, and therefore to increase achievement scores, and yield more "proficient" students than before.
2. Aptitude Tests
Aptitude test is about searching of original talent, to understand the capability of students this test should be conducted.
Aptitude and ability tests are designed to assess your logical reasoning or thinking performance. They consist of multiple choice questions and are administered under exam conditions. They are strictly timed and a typical test might allow 30 minutes for 30 or so questions. Test result will be compared to that of a control group so that judgments can be made about one‘s abilities.
Student may be asked to answer the questions either on paper or online. The advantages of online testing include immediate availability of results and the fact that the test can be taken at employment agency premises or even at home. This makes online testing particularly suitable for initial screening as it is obviously very cost-effective.
Aptitude and ability tests can be classified as speed tests or power tests. In speed tests the questions are relatively straightforward and the test is concerned with how many questions one can answer correctly in the allotted time. Speed tests tend to be used in selection at the administrative and clerical level. A power test on the other hand will present a smaller number of more complex questions. Power tests tend to be used more at the professional or managerial level.
There are at least 5000 aptitude and ability tests on the market. Some of them contain only one type of question (for example, verbal ability, numeric reasoning ability etc) while others are made up of different types of question.
Manual for aptitude tests - First Things First
The first thing to do is to determine which type of questions one is going to be asked.
Types of question can be classified as follows:
Verbal Ability – Includes spelling, grammar, and ability to understand analogies and follow detailed written instructions. These questions appear in most general aptitude tests because employers usually want to know how well you can communicate.
Numeric Ability - Includes basic arithmetic, number sequences and simple mathematics. In management level tests student will often be presented with charts and graphs that need to be interpreted. These questions appear in most general aptitude tests.
Abstract Reasoning - Measures one’s ability to identify the underlying logic of a pattern and then determine the solution. Because abstract reasoning ability is believed to be the best indicator of fluid intelligence and student’s ability to learn new things quickly these questions appear in most general aptitude tests.
Spatial Ability - Measures student’s ability to manipulate shapes in two dimensions or to visualize three-dimensional objects presented as two-dimensional pictures. These questions not usually found in general aptitude tests unless the specifically good spatial skills are required.
Mechanical Reasoning - Designed to assess student’s knowledge of physical and mechanical principles. Mechanical reasoning questions are used to select for a wide range of one’s skills.
Fault Diagnosis - These tests are used to select technical personnel who need to be able to find and repair faults in electronic and mechanical systems.
Data Checking - Measure how quickly and accurately errors can be detected in data.
Internet sources
http://www.psychometric-success.com/aptitude-tests/aptitude-tests-introduction.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_aptitude_test&src=ansTT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievement_test
http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/glossar1/p/achievementtest.htm
http://dictionary.webmd.com/terms/achievement-test
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/knowledge-wiki/achievement-test
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.2e37a093417f63e3aa77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=a6a12d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=57ec253b164f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD
http://www.mountainmeasurement.com/blog/?p=148
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=240&ContentID=4348&Content=69261
http://jalt.org/test/bro_12.htm
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/WordMeanings.htm
SZARAZOVÁ
What is a progress test (PT)?
· is a set of tests designed to measure what students have learned
· so the PT looks forward, it measures student’s language proficiency/level in the light of the language demands made later on students by a future course of study or job
What is the purpose of PT?
ü is to evaluate and determine student’s skill levels, whether students’ language ability corresponds to specific language requirements
ü whether students know enough English, for example, to follow a certain university or college course given in the medium of English
ü whether students know enough English in order to function efficiently in a particular type of employment
· at schools, PTs are written several times during the academic year
· following skills are measured:
§ listening - measures ability to understand English as it is spoken
§ reading - measures ability to read and understand English written texts
§ grammar - measures ability to recognize language structures that are appropriate for standard written English
§ writing - measures ability to write in English on an assigned topic. In this section, students have an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to write in English. This includes the ability to generate and organize ideas, to support those ideas with examples or evidence, and to compose in standard written English in response to an assigned topic.
· PT comprises timed multiple-choice test items. The Listening part consists of a multiple-choice test in response to audio-taped questions and timed lecture followed by a series of questions. The grammar test comprises two multiple-choice section, one in vocabulary and one in grammar and usage. The reading part comprises also a multiple-choice test according to a short text passages and writing includes a timed piece of free writing on a set theme.
· For non-native English students who want to attend a college or university, or for those who want to work abroad, the number of English proficiency test options can be overwhelming. Among the most common PT belongs:
Ø TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is the most widely accepted English-language proficiency test in the world. It evaluates the potential success of an individual to use and understand standard American English at a college level. It is required for non-native applicants at many US and other English-speaking colleges and universities. The TOEFL is the product of the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Ø TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication) - offers two main types of English proficiency tests: a listening and reading test as well as a newly-added speaking and writing test. It is a timed paper-and-pencil multiple-choice test that must be taken at a registered testing center. Points are awarded for correct answers and then converted to a scaled score. A level of proficiency is awarded based on this score. Scores are valid for two years.
Ø Cambridge ESOL - the Cambridge ESOL organization offers a number of tests appropriate for higher education purposes. The most common are the First Certificate of English (FCE), Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and the more-advanced Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Five items are tested: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and use of English.
Ø MTELP (The Michigan Test of Language Proficiency) for workers - is not an academic-oriented English proficiency test. It is designed to test the non-native English speaker’s effectiveness in the working world. It is a web-based proficiency test that consists of three timed multiple choice sections testing standard English structures, business-related terms, and analytical skills.
Progress Test
· is a most widely used type of tests
· measures the extent to which the students have mastered the material taught in classroom
· is based on the language programme which the class has been following
· progress test can be only evaluated fully by the class teacher in the light of his/her knowledge of the students, the programme which they have been following, and the class teacher’s own particular aims and goals
· results enable the teacher to become more familiar with the work of each student and with the progress of the class in general
· PT is a teaching device, its backwash effect on teaching and motivation being important features
· a good PT should encourage the students to perform well in the target language and gain additional confidence
· its aim is to stimulate the learning ant to reinforce what has been taught.
Pure Test
· is a test that measures only the element or skill being tested without the use of another skill
Bibliography
1. J. B. Heaton: Writing English Language Test. New York: Longman Inc., 1990. ISBN
0-582-00237-0
2. R. B. Valette: Modern Language Testing. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
ISBN 0-521-25264-4
Diagnostic tests
-a test that helps the teacher and learners identify problems that they have with the language.
-a test of present ability, assessing students' knowledge and skills in a particular area to show up their strengths and weaknesses. Aim: to see what needs to be taught / retaught.
-a test used to "diagnose" or analyzean individual's specific areas of weaknesses or deficiencies, and if possible, to suggest acause
Example of diagnostic test:
At the start of the course, the teacher gives the learners a diagnostic test to see what areas of language need to be in the syllabus.
In the classroom:
Progress tests given during the course can also act as diagnostic tests as they help the teacher and learners identify what areas will be looked at next on the course. [1]
+ example: English diagnostic test.pdf
Discrete item
-is an item of language isolated from context.
Examples of discrete items: a single phoneme such as /e/, the past form -ed, a phrasal verb such as 'get up', or a conjunction such as 'in addition'.
Discrete item tests
-focus on the testing of specific- discrete aspects of language
-the main advantage is that it can be easily designed, scored and graded
Example of discrete item test of grammar: a passage with blank spaces to be filled in with past tense forms of the verbs provided in their infinitive form [2]
Types:
Listening tests: pure listening tests, listening comprehension tests- students listen to atext and answer questions based on it
-the simplest type: recognise different phonemes
Reading comprehension tests:
5levels of comprehension:
-literal- focuses on information which is explicitly stated in the text
-reorganization- student has to organize for himself some of the information explicitly expressed
-inferential-student has to make use of his own experiences, predict outcomes
-evaluative- requires the student to make judgements
-appreciative- the student has to be emotionally and aesthetically sensitive to what he is reading
Tests of writing skills: sentence reconstruction, dialogue writing, punctuation
Tests of oral skills: difficult to administer, their scoring is highly subjective: listen and repeat, stress and intonation, reading aloud, picture using
Example of discrete item test for grammar
Are the following forms of the irregular verbs used as Infinitive, Simple Past and/or Past participle?
1) have -Infinitive
Simple Past
Past participle
Discrete-point testing
-is an analytical approach to language testing in which each test question is meant to measure one distinct content point.
-measures whether or not the student has mastered specific elements of the second language.
-assumes that language knowledge can be divided into a number of independent facts: elements of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation, pronunciation, intonation and stress. These can be tested by pure items (usually multiple-choice recognition tasks).