126240 UE EFL Testing and Assessment (2013W)

This course is designed to give future teachers a basic grounding in the core areas of assessment, including construct definition, specifications, item formats, validity of assessments, reliability of judgements, test quality, washback and impact, alternative and self-assessment. A large part will be devoted to the assessment of reading and writing (and how that differs from/is similar to listening and speaking), principally by developing our own reading test(s) and undergoing rater training for writing. As such assessment will always occur in a specific social context, policies, external frameworks and guidelines for assessment, notably the Common European Framework of Reference, will be examined.