Julie Ann T.

Gines Language Testing and Evaluation

MED-LED Dr. Marcelo Raquepo

LESSON 2
CHECKING UNDERSTANDING

Let Us Reason Together

Activity 1. Among the requisites of a good language test constructor, select one that is
your strength and one that is considered a weakness. Explain briefly but substantially.

 As an educator, for me to able to create and construct an effective test, having

mastery of the content is a must. It will also motivate and teach the learners at
optimal levels. While the requisite that I have to improve to is the familiarization
of types and varieties of test items and with their possibilities and limitations.
Since I am a new teacher, I am struggling with choosing the appropriate type of
test for a specific lesson I have taught.

Activity 2. “A test must be valid first before it can be reliable.” Whether you agree or
not, explain in three paragraphs. Integrate in your answer the related concepts learned in
language test development process, including the concept of washback.

 I strongly agree that a test must be valid first before it can be reliable but a test
can be reliable without being valid. If anything, a test must be valid before being
reliable because if the test is not valid, it won’t matter if it’s reliable or not. A test
must measure what it purports to measure (validity) and then it must do it reliably,
test after test (test/retest). However, a test must be BOTH valid and reliable.
While reliability is necessary, it alone is not sufficient. For a test to be
reliable, it also needs to be valid. For example, if your scale is off by 5 lbs, it
reads your weight every day with an excess of 5lbs. The scale is reliable because
it consistently reports the same weight every day, but it is not valid because it
adds 5lbs to your true weight. It is not a valid measure of your weight.
Activity 3. Why is the preparation of a Table of Specifications one of the critical
areas/elements in test development? Cite at least three arguments to justify your answer.

 The Table of Specifications is sometimes called a test blueprint, is a table that

helps teachers align objectives, instruction, and assessment. First, it is a great help
for teachers to be able to map the amount of class time spent on each objective
with the cognitive level at which each objective was taught thereby helping
teachers to identify the types of items they need to include on their tests. Second,
using a TOS can support test validity. It provides a framework for organizing
information about the instructional activities experienced by the student and
lastly, a TOS can be evidence for test content. One approach to gathering
evidence of test content for your classroom tests is to consider the amount of
actual class time spent on each objective. Things that were discussed longer or in
 greater detail should appear in greater proportion on your test. This approach is
particularly important for subject areas that teach a range of topics across a range
of cognitive levels. In a given unit of study there should be a direct relation
between the amount of class time spent on the objective and the portion of the
final assessment testing that objective. If you only spent 10% of the instructional
time on an objective, then the objective should only count for 10% of the
assessment. A TOS provides a framework for making these decisions.

Activity 4. What is the value of doing an Item Analysis after administering and scoring
the test? In a paragraph, explain.

 Item analysis is very important in improving test items which will be used again
in later tests, at the same time, it can also be used to eliminate misleading items in
a test. Items with negative discrimination indices must be deleted or replaced.
Classroom teachers must rewrite all items with zero discrimination indices. Also,
teachers must replace or rewrite all items with low positive discrimination indices.
When all these are done the reliability of the test will be increased. This makes it
imperative for teachers to be well versed in testing techniques to enable them to
reliably and validly evaluate student progress.

Portfolio-Related Tasks
(I’ll be sending the file together with this document)

As we study the development of a language test, you are expected to apply the
competencies in developing your own 50-item test in a language subject of your choice,
preferably the one you are currently teaching or have recently taught. Those who are
recently graduated, choose a language subject you are most familiar with.

This language test, an integrated activity, showcases the competencies you acquired in
this course. Step by step, develop the test as suggested in each of the lessons. At this
stage, do the following:

1. Go over the topics and learning competencies in the English subject you have
chosen. Consider the topics and competencies that make up the forthcoming
periodic (or grading period) test you are expected to administer to the class.
Anticipate the topics that would be covered before the actual test administration.
2. State the assumptions that you will set for the grading period.
3. Make a two-way grid Table of Specifications for the grading period test.

Note: This portfolio shall be submitted at the end of the course.