Course content
Weeks 1 & 2
Course tutors: Dr Rita Green, Dr. Luke Harding, Ms Carol Spoettl and Dr Tineke Brunfaut
This two-week course offers both theoretical and practical sessions in the development of language tests.
The one-day sessions usually include input on:
- the principles of language testing (validity, reliability and practicality)
- the testing of reading
- the testing of listening
- the testing of writing
- the testing of speaking
- testing language in use
- statistics for language testing
- setting standards in language testing
Week 3: Classical Test Theory (SPSS)
Course tutor: Dr Rita Green
The main focus of this year?s one-week course will be the role of inferential statistics in language testing. Participants will learn how to run and interpret the following analyses: t tests, ANOVA, factor analysis and regression. Participants wishing to attend the course are expected to be familiar with the mechanics of the program (data entry) and have an understanding of descriptive statistics.
Week 4: Introduction to Modern Test Theory (Winsteps)
Course tutor: Dr Rita Green
This one-week course will familiarise participants with the mechanics of the program as well as providing the opportunity to explore and discuss convergence tables, variable maps, item and person statistics and distracter analysis.
In both weeks 3 and 4, the morning sessions are devoted to running the analyses and interpreting the statistical output while in the afternoons participants are provided with different data sets so they may re-visit these analyses. Alternatively, participants may prefer to carry out similar analyses on their own data sets.