Purpose: Based on the general formula, which depends on the length and difficulty of the test, the number of respondents and the number of ability levels, this study aims to provide a closed formula for the adaptive tests with medium difficulty (probability of solution is p = 1/2) to determine the accuracy of the parameters for each item and in…

Researchers often have hypotheses concerning the state of affairs in the population from which they sampled their data to compare group means. The classical frequentist approach provides one way of carrying out hypothesis testing using ANOVA to state the null hypothesis that there is no difference in the means and proceed with multiple comparisons…

In mixed methods approaches, statistical models are used to identify "nested" cases for intensive, small-n investigation for a range of purposes, including notably the examination of causal mechanisms. This article shows that under a commonsense interpretation of causal effects, large-n models allow no reliable conclusions about effect…

New Meridian Corporation has developed the "Quality Testing Standards and Criteria for Comparability Claims" (QTS). The goal of the QTS is to provide guidance to states that are interested in including content from the New Meridian item bank and intend to make comparability claims with "other assessments" that include New…

New Meridian Corporation has developed the "Quality Testing Standards and Criteria for Comparability Claims" (QTS). The goal of the QTS is to provide guidance to states that are interested in including content from the New Meridian item bank and intend to make comparability claims with "other assessments" that include New…

This convergent mixed method study aimed at exploring the English context of the widely used Emirates Standardized Test (EmSAT) by juxtaposing it to its sequel, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For this purpose, the study used the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) international standards which is used as a…

New Meridian Corporation has developed the "Quality Testing Standards and Criteria for Comparability Claims" (QTS). The goal of the QTS is to provide guidance to states that are interested in including content from the New Meridian item bank and intend to make comparability claims with "other assessments" that include New…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) oral proficiency interview -- computer (OPIc) testing system represents an ambitious effort in language assessment: Assessing oral proficiency in over a dozen languages, on the same scale, from virtually anywhere at any time. Especially for users in contexts where multiple foreign…

Differential item functioning (DIF) is often used to examine validity evidence of alternate form test accommodations. Unfortunately, traditional approaches for evaluating DIF are prone to selection bias. This article proposes a novel DIF framework that capitalizes on regression discontinuity design analysis to control for selection bias. A…

Acquiring complex oral presentation skills is cognitively demanding for students and demands intensive teacher guidance. The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to identify and apply design guidelines in developing an effective formative assessment method for oral presentation skills during classroom practice, and (b) to develop and compare two…

Recent advances in machine learning have made automated scoring of learner speech widespread, and yet validation research that provides support for applying automated scoring technology to assessment is still in its infancy. Both the educational measurement and language assessment communities have called for greater transparency in describing…

Language placement tests (LPTs) are used to assess students' proficiency in a progressive manner in the target language. Based on their performance, students are assigned to stepped language courses. These tests are usually considered low stakes because they do not have significant consequences in students' lives, which is perhaps the reason why…

Using a lexical decision task, Wolter and Yamashita (2015) showed that collocations that exist only in L1 but not in L2 were not processed faster than collocations that only exist in L2 but not in L1 or a random combination of two words. This result seems to support the age/order of acquisition effects (Carroll & White, 1973) over Jiang's…

Computer-based test (CBT) and paper-based test (PBT) are two test modes to the test takers that have been widely adopted in the field of language testing or assessment over the last few decades. Due to the rapid development of science and technology, it is a trend for universities and educational institutions striving rather hard to deliver the…

The main purpose of the present study is to propose a framework for implementing group dynamic assessment (DA) using students' smartphones for improving and assessing EFL learners' ability to produce well-formed and appropriate requests. This study focuses on five learner reciprocity moves during DA interactions to get deeper insights into the…