| Date: |
10 Dec 2024 |
Venue: |
Online
|
| Time: |
12:30 - 14:30
|
| Type: |
Workshop |
Fee: |
£95 (Members - £85.50) |
Book now
Bookings close 09 Dec 2024 at 11am (UK time)
Course overview
This interactive workshop will help you understand how to design and use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in the assessment of languages to ensure valid and reliable outcomes.
The workshop has been designed for anyone with a responsibility for writing questions, developing assessments or managing the production of language assessment. This includes the assessment of structure, lexis as well as the skills of reading and listening.
If you are new to assessment design, or have limited experience, this workshop will give you everything you need to get going. Or if you are more experienced in the field and want to refresh your skills, or are involved in training others in designing MCQs for languages, this workshop will increase your understanding of the underpinning principles and boost confidence in your practice.
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) have the potential to be an indispensable tool for educational practitioners. They are often used in the assessment of reading and listening skills and as such are tied to the content of texts. The production of MCQs in assessing language therefore needs to consider the production of the associated text and this workshop will focus on techniques to ensure texts can be written or adapted to support not only reliable keys, but distraction which is relevant and challenging enough to support valid items overall. Alongside this, the workshop will also look at the use of MCQs for assessing structure and lexis. The workshop will include content across the range of CEFR levels and will provide guidance on how to produce content which can be adapted to suit different contexts.
You will learn by using a variety of real-life examples. You will also have an opportunity to critique, edit and practice writing test items.
Key learning outcomes
By the end of the session you will have:
- Gained an understanding of the relationship between the principles of assessment and the design of MCQs
- Learnt about different types of MCQs used in language assessment
- Learned how to evaluate potential topics, themes and texts for use with MCQs in the assessment of reading and listening skills
- Recognise how to construct stand-alone or grouped MCQs for the assessment of structure and lexis
- Developed strategies to improve each stage of your MCQ design process, following analysis that you have conducted, giving you the tools to advance your practice.
Course trainer
Margaret Cooze is a freelance language and assessment specialist. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and an MSc in English Language Teaching Management. She has taught in Guatemala, Japan and the UK with a particular interest in the teaching and assessment of writing.
Margaret has also worked for Cambridge Assessment managing the production of a range of assessments for language learners and teachers. She has also led on assessment reviews, benchmarking and comparability studies as well as supporting awarding bodies in gaining recognition for their assessments.
She is now involved in the design, development and production of assessment materials as well acting as moderator and Principal Examiner for English assessments for Cambridge International. Alongside this, Margaret has recently written for Cambridge University Press and also designs and delivers training on the principles of assessment, question paper content writing, the operational aspects of assessment systems and also language awareness for teachers with recent work in Sweden, Lesotho, Pakistan, Botswana, Eswatini, The Bahamas and Vietnam.