Aptis test review

Shin, Ji-young; Rodríguez-Fuentes, Rodrigo A.; Swatek, Aleksandra; Ginther, April

doi:10.1177/02655322211032873

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…It is much less certain how cognates could be controlled, and whether there would be any noticeable benefit to doing so, when tasks involve longer textual input or when production is involved. Nevertheless, controlling for L1 factors would be consistent with the move toward localization of tests, which allows test users to work with test developers to modify the contextual variables of the test so that they better suit the testing purposes (e.g., the Aptis test; see Shin et al, 2022). Localized test development projects may thus offer opportunities for language assessment that is more L1-specific than has been the norm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The distribution of cognates and their impact on response accuracy in the EIKEN tests

Allen

Nakamura

2023

Language Testing

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Although there is abundant evidence for the use of first-language (L1) knowledge by bilinguals when using a second language (L2), investigation into the impact of L1 knowledge in large-scale L2 language assessments and discussion of how such impact may be controlled has received little attention in the language assessment literature. This study examines these issues through investigating the use of L1-Japanese loanword knowledge in test items targeting L2-English lexical knowledge in the Reading section of EIKEN grade-level tests, which are primarily taken by Japanese learners of English. First, the proportion of English target words that have loanwords in Japanese was determined through analysis of corpus-derived wordlists, revealing that the distribution of such items is broadly similar to that in language in general. Second, the impact of loanword frequency in Japanese (and cognate status) was demonstrated through statistical analysis of response data for the items. Taken together, the findings highlight the scope and impact of such cognate items in large-scale language assessments. Discussion centers on how test developers can and/or should deal with the inclusion of cognate words in terms of context validity and test fairness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The distribution of cognates and their impact on response accuracy in the EIKEN tests

Allen

Nakamura

2023

Language Testing

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“…However, online tests and exams are not unusual for language proficiency tests like IELTS as it has been computerized since 2015 [1]. Other proficiency tests such as TOEFL and APTIS have also opted for online platforms and made the necessary adjustment to cater to the pandemic [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Hence, the exit test, English Communication Skills (ECS) for graduating students in UTM, had to be converted online to cater to the lockdown during the pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral Interaction Assessment through Video-recorded Group Discussion: A Case of English for Communication Skills (ECS) for Graduating Students

Mustafa,

Busri,

Hamdan

et al. 2023

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

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Possessing a good language proficiency could significantly help one to speak better. However, taking an online test in that target language could impact one's performance. This paper aims to investigate online test anxiety in a group discussion among graduating students majoring in TESL. Oral interaction assessment is one of the components of ECS tested on students' workplace readiness for graduating students. Before the pandemic, the assessment was conducted face-toface. However, when the pandemic hit, it had to be done online. The group discussion must be recorded and submitted through a Google form where the students must answer a questionnaire within the allocated time. Analysing the data collected from the online questionnaire and students' test results, the findings showed that more than half felt anxious when recording the discussion, although they were well-prepared for the assessment. They believed they needed more oral practice online to improve their performance. Despite these concerns, 75% were confident in taking the test. The students' test results showed that their performance is satisfactory and effective based on two assessors assessing their videos, indicating their anxiety and perceived lack of practice do not interfere with their actual performance when they are confident with their speaking abilities. However, since this study only involved twenty respondents from the TESL program, the findings may not represent the general population of the students in the same faculty. Future studies with a larger sample from various faculties are needed to investigate this phenomenon further.

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Does Inquiry-Based Learning Instruction Work for Introductory Psychology?

Pilotti,

Abdelsalam,

Waked

2024

Teaching of Psychology

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Background Despite the increased popularity of inquiry-based instruction, there is a paucity of research that directly compares the impacts of inquiry-based approaches on student learning outcomes. Objective The present field study examined the impact of two types of inquiry-based learning on performance in a research-oriented assignment. Method In an introductory psychology course, the assignment was presented through either a partially student-directed learning (SDL) approach (serving as the control condition) or a SDL approach (serving as the treatment condition). Students were first-year students with a didactic instructional past. Results Student-directed learning, which was characterized by a high degree of SDL and a limited contribution by the instructor, was found to yield higher performance. Although there were no prior differences in self-efficacy and assignment performance between the two groups, SDL also yielded higher final test performance. Conclusion These findings suggest that students can benefit from being challenged, and that initial apprehension may be a motivator for peer cohesiveness and ultimately exerted effort. Teaching Implications The SDL approach may be further investigated as a viable instructional method to enrich students’ learning opportunities as well as reinforce their sense of agency.

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Aptis test review

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

The distribution of cognates and their impact on response accuracy in the EIKEN tests

The distribution of cognates and their impact on response accuracy in the EIKEN tests

Oral Interaction Assessment through Video-recorded Group Discussion: A Case of English for Communication Skills (ECS) for Graduating Students

Does Inquiry-Based Learning Instruction Work for Introductory Psychology?

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