5th International Conference Khartoum, Sudan Towards Building a Community of Learners February 26-28, 2015

Problems of Developing an English Language Proficiency Test, Case of Ahfad University for Women Dr. Amna Mohamed Bedri Ahfad University for Women

Contents  Assessment; what, when and why?  Present situation  - assessment at AUW  What, when and why should we assess at AUW  Models worldwide  Options

English Language Courses - A pre-university English language programme. - It is designed for students who have completed their secondary school education in Sudanese or foreign schools. To build skills that help students bridge the gap between the basic English language they used to study in school and the academic lectures, texts and assignments students will encounter during their university studies.

Objectives By the end of the Course students will be able to:- 1) To follow academic lectures and texts efficiently. 2) To write assignments and term papers in English. 3) To survive in the lecture room. 4) To take part in speaking in English in class and tutorial groups. 5) To carry out research in English 6) To upgrade their proficiency in English (in all four skill)

UPP cont.  2 teachers are appointed for each group (each one teaches two skills per group)  All the teachers should adhere strictly to the syllabus given.  20 hours a week x 26 weeks

UPP assessment - Students do not arrive at the required time. - Several versions of the placement test are needed - Some students need a remedial course prior to level 1 - Not all students realise the importance of the course specially - Achievement test is offered at the end of each level - Proficiency test at the end of the course - According to AUW regulations they need 5.0 in IELTS or equivalent to proceed to Freshman year

Study Skills Course  University required course ( 2 credit hours)  This course aims to bridge the gap between school and university studies and to prepare students to cope with their academic studies and to be independent learners.  In-house material is designed specially for the course – Ahfad Study Skills Course  No exams – 10 assignments

Study Skills  The course is task-based i.e. students have to accomplish tasks to master the skills, therefore participation in classroom work is essential as well as assignments  Evaluation of the course is based on 10 assignments –no final examination  Students visit the library for orientation and for completing an assignment during the course

Assessment of English at AUW  Importance of Benchmarking  Gradual promotion from one level to another  Importance of Exit test, When?  Assessing ESP  Assessing Study Skills

Assessment  assessment, noun [U] the process of making a judgement or forming an opinion, after considering something or someone carefully  Summative vs Formative  Continuous assessment  Achievement tests, placement…

Ideal situation assessment allows organizations or instructors the ability to set a benchmark for each student at the beginning of the semester. It also gives them the ability to see areas where students need improvement and the instructors are then able to tailor the semester of instruction to specifically address the needs of students -- rather than teaching content that is general to everyone in the class

 “to inform people of how much progress a student is making. Assessment can take many different forms and does not need to be limited to tests and exams.” Assessment matters: What is assessment? By Adrian Tennant  Two forms

Testing the Process of Learning  Activity assessment a) Did you like that activity? b) Was that activity easy or difficult? c) What was the hardest part of that? d) Was the activity useful? How? Why?  Self-assessment a) Now I can … b) I still need to work on … c) I’ve improved in …  d) Today I learnt … e) In the test I got X and Y wrong. I’m going to study these for homework

Assessment part of the teaching and learning process.  a) If you can build in a form of assessment regularly, maybe even every lesson, then your students will become used to it and therefore more comfortable. b) Make sure you include the results of any assessment into your teaching  C) Assessing tasks and lessons

Criteria of assessment’s tools  Purpose and Impact: how will the assessment be used and how will it impact instruction and the selection of curriculum.  Validity : Does it measure what it intends to measure?  Fairness: Does it allow students to demonstrate both what they know and are able to do?  Reliability: Is the data that is collected reliable across applications.  Significance: Does it address content and skills that are valued by and reflect current thinking in the field.  Efficiency: Is the method of assessment consistent with the time available in the classroom setting. 

Previous Studies Dr. Yasir Hassn Hussien  The development of a standardised exit test for assessing English language on a foundation programme in Sudan. it seeks to propose standardized test specifications by which English language tutors at AUW can produce standard and fair versions of an exit test for their foundation course.

Global Models  IELTS; the pre-sessional in some cases is a complusory requirement irrespective of IELTS score. I guess it covers more than just language skills, introduction to subject areas, academic skills, cultural elements etc..  “people are finally beginning to realise that a particular IELTS score is only the very vaguest indicator of how well a student will actually be able to cope with a tertiary level course in English medium” Terry Phillips  TOEFL;  Other options

Alternatives “formative and summative assessments evaluate student learning and assist instructors in guiding instructional planning and delivery. While the purpose of a summative assessment is to check for mastery following the instruction, formative assessment focuses on informing teachers in ways to improve student learning during lesson delivery” (Gualden, 2010).

Formative assessment  A Bank of tools used on daily basis  Student-Generated Test Questions : If the students are aware of the objectives of the test???  quick quizzes  ask questions throughout the text rather than only at the end of the chapter  Class discussion, group note taking

Thank You  Dr. Amna Mohamed Bedri  Ahfad University for Women 