TESL 428 Quiz #1

Assessment

A broad process of gathering data about learners’ language ability, progress, strengths, and weaknesses, using various tools and tasks, for the purpose of making decisions (e.g. about instruction, placement).

Evaluation

Judging or interpreting assessment data; making decisions about the value, quality, or effectiveness of a learner, program, or performance, often involving comparison with some standard or benchmark.

Test

A particular instrument or event designed to measure learners’ performance or ability at a moment in time, often under controlled conditions, using set tasks.

Placement Tests

Designed to determine what course level or group a learner should begin at — to place them in an instructional level neither too easy nor too difficult.

Aptitude Test

Tests intended to predict how well someone will learn a foreign or second language in future or new learning situations—what potential they have, independent of past instruction.

Diagnostic Test

Tests designed to identify specific areas of strengths and weaknesses in a learner’s language knowledge (e.g., grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary). Often used before instruction to guide what needs to be taught

Achievement Test

Assessment of what learners have achieved relative to a course, unit, or curriculum; to see whether the objectives have been met. These often are summative but can also provide formative feedback.

Proficiency Test

Measures more general language ability; what a learner can do with the language overall, not necessarily tied to what has been taught in a particular course. Typically used to certify competence, for example in standardized tests of general language ability.

Criterion-Referenced Test

Tests where performance is judged against a fixed set of criteria or learning standards, not compared to other test takers. The aim is to see what the learner can do relative to those criteria.

Norm-Referenced Test

Tests designed to compare and rank test takers in relation to one another. Scores are interpreted relative to a normative sample (peer group). The goal is ranking, not necessarily mastery of specific content.

Summative Test

Assessments given at the end of a unit, course or term, to summarize what learners have learned; often high weight in grading.

Formative Test

Ongoing assessments used during instruction intended to provide feedback to improve learning and teaching; they help shape future instruction.

High-Stakes Assessment

Tests whose results have large consequences for test-takers (e.g. graduation, promotion, certification). Because of their impact, stakes are “high.”

Low-Stakes Assessment

Tests with little or no serious consequences for the test-taker. They might be for practice, feedback, or self‑assessment.

Traditional Assessments

Conventional types of tests like multiple-choice, true‑false, fill‑in‑the‑blank, grammar/translation, etc.—typically controlling, decontextualized, often discrete‑point.

Alternative Assessments

Assessments that ask learners to perform real‑world tasks, produce language, engage in projects, portfolios, or performance‑based tasks; more focused on integrative use of language and authentic contexts.

Content Validity

How well the content of the test represents the domain it's meant to cover (e.g. grammar, vocabulary, skills) and whether items reflect what was taught or what is expected in the course.

Criterion-Related Validity

How well test scores correlate with another measure

Concurrent Validity

Correlation with another measure taken at the same time.

Predictive Validity

How well test scores predict future performance on some related task

Construct Validity

The degree to which a test measures the theoretical construct or trait it purports to measure (e.g. speaking ability, communicative competence), including underlying skills and components.

Consequential Validity

Considers the consequences (both intended and unintended) of test use — how the test affects teaching, learning, social, ethical implications. Whether the outcomes of the test use are positive or negative.

Face Validity

The extent to which a test appears valid to test-takers, teachers, or other stakeholders (“on its face”); whether it looks like it measures what it claims. This is subjective; not strong empirical evidence but important for test‐taker motivation and acceptance.

Student-Related Reliability

Variability due to learner factors (motivation, fatigue, anxiety, health, test‐wiseness). These can cause different performances even if proficiency is stable.

Rater Reliability

Consistency in scoring by raters. Includes inter‑rater (different raters give similar scores) and intra‑rater reliability (same rater gives consistent scores across time).

Test-Administration Reliability

Consistency in how the test is administered (same environment, materials, instructions). Differences in administration conditions can introduce error

Test Reliability

Consistency of the test itself: that the items are well‑constructed, instructions clear, test length appropriate; that the test isn’t biased by irrelevant difficulty or ambiguities. Also includes how well the test items discriminate among levels.

Validity

The extent to which the inferences made from assessment results are appropriate, meaningful, and useful in relation to the intended interpretation and uses.

Reliability

The consistency or dependability of an assessment: whether similar conditions yield similar results

Practicality

The extent to which a test or assessment is feasible in terms of time, cost, material resources, administration, scoring, reporting, etc.

Washback

The effect that testing has on teaching and learning. Tests can influence what is taught, how it is taught, what learners study, how they prepare.

Authenticity

Degree to which test tasks reflect real‐world language use (target‐language tasks). This includes naturalness of language, contextualization, meaningful topics, tasks that mirror what learners might do outside the classroom.