Language Assessment in Turkey:

Issues and Challenges

MELİKŞAH UNIVERSITY, KAYSERI, 29-31 JANUARY, 2014

Dr. Simon Phipps

Outline

!  Overview of the 3 days !  English language assessment in Turkish universities (1) !  Ethical testing !  Assessment literacy !  Test specifications !  Testing as part of the language learning process !  English language assessment in Turkish universities (2) !  Institutional issues and challenges

Some quotes from you

‘When you become a teacher you realise how important it is to teach your students properly. When you become a test

developer you realise how important it is to write items properly.’

‘Assessment should not be viewed differently from the teaching and learning process as good language tests mirror

what is taught in class.’

Overview of the 3 days

Wednesday 29 Thursday 30 Friday 31

09.00-10.00

Language assessment in Turkey: Issues/challenges

Applying standards to testing

Curriculum and assessment

10.15-11.15

Principles of test design Test design & test writing Test development cycle

11.15-12.00

Workshop: Tests of grammar & vocabulary

W/shop: Tests of receptive skills

W/shop: Test of productive skills

13.00-14.00

Groupwork Groupwork Groupwork

14.15-15.15

Groupwork

Groupwork Groupwork

15.15-16.00

Group presentations & feedback

Group presentations & feedback

Group presentations & feedback

English language assessment in Turkish universities: some challenges

!  Beliefs about language, learning, testing !  KPDS, university entrance exam

validity reliability

practicality !  Multiple choice vs open-ended Qs !  ‘Value what we test’ vs ‘test what we value’ !  Speaking skills !  Formative assessment !  Negative backwash

1

Ethical testing

!  Mis-use of tests (Fulcher, 2010) !  gate-keeping vs equality of opportunity !  ‘ecological sensitivity’

!  Importance of reliability !  consistent level of tests

!  Importance of validity !  what do scores say about learners

‘The task for the ethical language tester is to look into the future, to picture the effect the test is intended to have, and to structure the test development to achieve that effect.’ (Fulcher & Davidson 2007:144) !  Guidelines for good practice – EALTA http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/archive/guidelines/English.pdf

Assessment literacy the conscious understanding of principles of assessment,

as well as the necessary skills to design, mark and give feedback on effective tests (Stiggins, 1995)

!  ‘it is rocket science’ (Fullan, 2001) !  Lack of focus on assessment in training courses !  Teachers’ ability to choose/write appropriate tests !  Test writers need to understand:

! Principles of test design !  Levels (CEFR), and curriculum ! Teaching and learning (and language)

!  Importance of: ! Test development, specifications, evaluation cycle

Test specifications (more detail from Zoltan tomorrow)

! Customer service – right of users to know ! Specifications for:

! Writers, users, validators ! Link to curriculum and CEFR

! Measure what’s important ! Beliefs about language learning !  formative? ! EAP?

! Weir 2005, validation framework

Testing as part of the learning process

! Use of tests to motivate learners (Fulcher, 2010)

! Formative assessment "  results are locally meaningful "  results may not be generalisable across contexts

! Positive backwash #  test across a range of objectives # use a range of different task types #  transparency

English language assessment in Turkish universities: some challenges

!  How to decide the assessment system

!  What do we value? What do we want to test? !  EAP? !  Speaking? !  Formative assessment? !  Positive backwash?

2

A1 A2 B1 B2 intake university study

placement proficiency achievement

progress

Institutional issues & challenges ‘The basic problem is to develop tests which are valid and reliable,

which have a beneficial backwash on teaching, and which are practical’ (Hughes, 2003:8).

!  Digital literacy !  Competency of test writers

!  assuming test writing is easy

!  Long-term planning and investment !  setting up a testing unit

!  baseline data and benchmarking

!  Assessment-driven educational system !  disconnect btw teaching/curriculum/tests

!  teaching to the test !  lack of validity and reliability = lack of trust

!  External validation

Some useful resources

!  EALTA http://www.ealta.eu.org/ http://www.ealta.eu.org/resources.htm http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/archive/guidelines/English.pdf

!  IATEFL Testing & Assessment SIG http://tea.iatefl.org

!  Prep Programmes Testing SIG <zeynepu@sabanciuniv.edu>

!  International Language Testing Association http://www.iltaonline.com/ http://www.iltaonline.com/index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=47

!  Language Testing Resources http://www.le.ac.uk/education/testing/ltr.html

Thank you! Dr. Simon Phipps