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Criterion‐Referenced Language Test Development: Linking Curricula, Teachers, and Tests
Author(s) -
LYNCH BRIAN K.,
DAVIDSON FRED
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
tesol quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.737
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1545-7249
pISSN - 0039-8322
DOI - 10.2307/3587557
Subject(s) - test (biology) , curriculum , psychology , mathematics education , criterion referenced test , language assessment , pedagogy , standardized test , geology , paleontology
In discussing the use of both criterion‐referenced measurement and norm‐referenced measurement techniques for item analysis, Brown (1989) has called for strengthening the relationship between testing and the curriculum. Alderson and Wall (1993) have pointed out the need for actual studies on the existence of washback , or the influence of tests on teaching. This article answers those calls by presenting criterion‐referenced language test development (CRLTD) as a means for linking ESL curricula, teacher experience, and language tests. CRLTD focuses on the generation of test specifications , as adapted from Popham (1978), and their refinement following the production of items or tasks from those specifications. Sample specifications are presented from university ESL/EFL programs at the University of Illinois, Urbana‐Champaign, and the University of California, Los Angeles. CRLTD is elaborated further in the form of a workshop designed to translate curricular goals into test instruments with the active participation of teachers. The article concludes by examining data from teachers who have used CRLTD and with a discussion of its benefits as a proactive process for teaching and assessment.