Le rôle d’ALTE dans TRANSVALP et d’autres projets européens

ALTE and its role in TRANSVALP and other EU projects

27 septembre 2007Cité Internationale Universitaire de

Paris

Partenaires/Partners

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Association of Language Testers in Europe

ALTE Who are we? www.alte.org

31 members and c.30 affiliate institutions; individual affiliates from a wider Europe

Members: Goethe, CIEP, Instituto Cervantes, Basque Government, WJEC

Affiliates: Ministry of Education, Latvia; Charles University, Prague

Aim: to engage in activities for the improvement of language testing and assessment in Europe through collaboration on joint projects and in the exchange of ideas, know-how and sharing of best practice

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Core aims of ALTE to address issues of quality and fairness related to the

examinations which the members provide to establish common standards for all stages of the language-

testing process and adhere to those standards: that is, for test development, task and item writing, test administration, marking and grading, reporting of test results, test analysis and reporting of findings

to adhere to the common levels of proficiency established by the ALTE members in order to promote the transnational recognition of certification in Europe

to engage in activities for the improvement of language testing and

assessment in Europe through collaboration on joint projects and in the exchange of ideas, know-how and sharing of best practice, especially through the medium of special interest groups

to provide training in language testing and assessment

to raise awareness on issues related to language assessment

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CEFR, CoE Manual, can dos

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Manual for relating language examinations to the

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages : A preliminary pilot version

Can dos The candidate can understand information

requests concerning the restaurant (opening hours, location, equipment…)and react to them in simple terms

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ALTE Publications

Language Examining and Test Development Booklet COE En and Fr

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Developing test specifications

VRIP valid (i.e. the test should offer an appropriate way of

measuring what it claims to measure); reliable (i.e. the results produced should be as free

as possible from errors of measurement); impact (i.e. the effect it has on individuals and on

classroom practice should be positive); practical (i.e. the demands it makes on the

resources of the test developer and the test administrator should be compatible with the resources available).

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THE TEST DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Start Perceived Need for a New Test

Planning Phase

Design PhaseInitial Specifications

Revision

Development Phase

TriallingAnalysis EvaluationEvaluation/Review

LIVE Operational PhaseTest

Monitoring Phase

Evaluation/Review

A Model of the Test Development Process

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Question paperconstruction

CONSTRUCTION

Item Analysis

Commissioning ofMaterial for

Question Papers

MATERIALS BANK*

Vetting and Editingof Material

Rejection

PretestConstruction

PretestingRevision

QUESTION PAPER

Trialling

*electronic bank for pretested materialsstorage of unpretested materials

TrialConstruction

TriallingReview

A B

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ALTE Multilingual glossary

Studies in Language Testing 6 The Multilingual Glossary of Language Testing

Terms was first developed by ALTE members with funding from the European Commission's Lingua programme in 1998.

Originally 10 languages, now in others

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Item writer guidelines

http://www.alte.org/projects/item_writer.php

Module 1Models of Language Ability

Module 2The test production process

Module 3Item TypesSome issues of item writing

Module 4Issues in Marking and Scoring

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Test Specifications

Define constructs Provide sample test specifications Work with TransValp partners to define specifications Provide expert guidance on item writing Provide some test validation and vetting input

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Computer-based testing input

Experience in CBT arena Delivery platform options / tool choice Input known issues with CBT

High stakes / low stakes Test security Linear vs. adaptive Operational constraints Technical feasibility

Options for item rendering Media specifications

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Example CBTs

Online Bulats – Cambridge ESOL

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Example CBTs

CB Skills for Life – Cambridge ESOL