English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Assessment
Offered by University of Maryland, Baltimore County, English Language Center (link: http://www.umbc.edu/elc/ )
This 10-week course is designed to introduce the participants to the theory and practice of foreign language assessment and testing. Participants will learn about the differences between assessment and testing, and how they can be used to make effective decisions to support teaching and learning. They will learn important concepts to consider when developing assessment and tests, -- such as validity, reliability, and practicality -- as well as different kinds of assessment and tests (e.g. formative, summative, diagnostic, proficiency, achievement, product oriented, process-oriented, and alternative assessments). They will develop skills to assess ESL/EFL learner's performance in the four areas and content areas. They will learn to develop test specifications, develop items, analyze and edit items, and put together a final assessment instrument that is reliable, valid, and useful. They will gain experience developing rubrics to assist with grading and scoring and make the assessment process transparent to all stakeholders.