Meta 3.1 To Identify and Explain the Different Types of Tests and Testing
9:46 p.m.
Different types of tests
·
Proficiency tests.
This test
measures the level of the learner has of a certain language, without
considering previous courses they may have had. This test help us know if the
learner is proficient, for example, if the learner goes to a course in England,
this test will tell us if his/her English level is adequate to go to another country
to study.
An example can
be Cambridge First Certificate in English Examination [FCE]
·
Achievement tests.
The main goal
of these tests is to know how successful the students/group of students or the
course has been in achieving objectives. In achievement tests we have two types: final and progress.
The final achievement
tests are the ones that are applied at the end of the course.
The content of this test is based on the syllabus, books or other content used
throughout the course.
The progress
achievement tests it is to know the students progress over time
to achieve the final objective of the course.
·
Diagnostic tests.
The diagnostic
test helps us to identify the student’s strengths and weakness, what he/she
know or may not know. As teachers, it can also facilitates us to know which
areas the students need more reinforcement. These ones are regularly applied at
the beginning of the school year.
·
Placement tests.
These tests
are designed to basically place a student at a level of a course or program
he/she belongs, depending on the results obtained. It takes in consideration
their abilities and knowledge he/she has.
An example of this we can
see it at our faculty, with students who want to enter a course program in
Celex.
Types of testing.
·
Direct vs Indirect testing.
Direct
testing is when we want to measure the skill of the student, for example we can
ask him to speak to us, like repeating something to measure his pronunciation.
Indirec testing measures the abilities that come with a certain skill; for
example, we can ask them to identify in a written text some errors it may have,
like the structure of a sentence.
·
Discrete point vs Integrative testing.
Discrete
point refers to only focus on one point; for example, if we have a test that
has various elements that has grammar, writing, etc, you will only focus on
grammar. Integrative testing is where there is a lot of combination of the
elements in the language; for example, writing a text composition or a
dictation.
·
Norm-referenced vs Criterion-referenced
testing.
The
norm-referenced is where the test evaluates the students in comparison to other
students. Criterion-referenced is a testing in which the students’ individual
work is way more important, than the previous one (norm-referenced) that focuses
on comparing students; who is brighter than who. It is a very useful testing
because we can know in which areas the students are having problems.
·
Objective testing vs Subjective testing.
Both
of these testing uses the method of scoring because, first, it is objective if
the teacher does not take any judgment to score the students performance and
second, is subjective when the judgments are required; for example, a test that
has open questions.
·
Computer adaptive testing
In
here the use of a program who analyzes the students’ answers, depending if the
student is correct, the program will give more difficult questions, whereas if
the student answers wrong, they will get an easier question. Is a great way for
the teacher to know where the high and lows of the students’ knowledge are.
·
Communicative language testing
This
testing is to measure the students’ ability to communicate. For example, this
is very common when you are learning a third language when, at the end of the
semester, the teacher gives you a situation, let’s say the situation is a party
where you ask a friend to help you with invitations, the food and drinks the
guests will have, the place it will be held, etc.
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