Writing Reading Items Module 2 Activity 4

PPT Overview In this PowerPoint presentation, you will learn how to write good items for reading tests. Remember: Items are what we call test questions.

Writing Reading Items Let’s look at 6 steps to writing good items: Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise items

Step 1 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise the items

Test Purpose Remember, there are several test purposes: Placement: used to decide what level or class a student should take; often given at the beginning of instruction Achievement: used to determine mastery of learning outcomes in a class; often given after a unit (formative or summative) or at the end of the course (summative) Proficiency: used to measure how much general English ability students have, usually ordering students against one another (good, better, best); often made by companies or governments Diagnostic: used to determine a student’s strengths or weaknesses; often given to individuals when they seem different from others

Test Purpose If you are going to make a test or give a test to your students, ask yourself: What is the purpose of my test? In other words, what will you use the test results for? For example: You are teaching a reading class and you want to know how well your students are doing. You decide to use a formative assessment to measure your students’ progress toward meeting class objectives.

Step 2 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise the items

Construct Remember: A construct is defined as which aspects of language ability that a test is designed to measure. This definition should state which aspects of language ability you will measure, which you will not measure because they are not relevant, and which you are assuming.

Construct Definition What is your construct definition of reading comprehension for this test? For example: You decide to measure the following abilities of reading: Understanding the main idea Understanding important details Making easy inferences You decide that reading does not require listening, speaking, or writing so you will not measure them. You assume that reading requires vocabulary and knowledge of text structure, but you will not include those abilities on your test.

Step 3 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise the items

Review: Checklist for Selecting Reading Passages Word Count – check the number of words in your document Readability – check to make sure that your text is appropriate for the student’s level Topic – chose a variety of topics Text Type – chose appropriate text type (informational, narrative…) Genre – chose texts that meets the student’s needs for English for Specific Purposes (essay, journal, textbook) Authenticity – choose a text that is as authentic as possible Vocabulary – choose a text with vocabulary appropriate to the students level (content words, academic words, technical words)

Step 4 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items

Item Formats There are many different item formats you can use: Multiple choice Sentence completion Fill-in-the-blank True / false / not stated Short answer Matching

Multiple Choice Multiple choice items are very common, but they are surprisingly difficult to write. You need to make sure the item is asking about your construct definition, that the stem is easy to read, and that each item has only one answer.

Sentence Completion Sentence completion items require examinees to finish a sentence. For example: The man gave his hat to __________________________. You need to make sure that the examinee can’t complete the sentence using only his or her grammar or vocabulary knowledge.

Fill-in-the-blank Fill-in-the-blank items require examinees to write a missing word or phrase in a blank space. For example: In the passage, John _____________________________ before he called his mother. Again, you need to make sure that the examinee can’t complete the sentence using only his or her grammar or vocabulary knowledge.

True / False / Not Stated True / false / not stated items require examinees to decide if a statement is true, not true, or if it was not said in the text. For example: Tulips, a type of flower, were very popular in Holland after 1637. Circle one: true false not stated

Short Answer Short answer items require examinees to write in response to a question. For example: What caused the fall of the Roman Empire? ___________________________________________________

Matching Matching items require examinees to identify the relationship between two pieces of information. However, you must always have an uneven number of choices between the 2 pieces of information, or the last item will be automatically answered. For example, you can provide a list of possible headings for each paragraph and ask examinees to select the best heading for each paragraph.

Matching Being overweight can lead to health problems. In a recent report, the government said people should eat foods that are higher in nutrients and lower in fat. Nutrients give you energy and help your body stay healthy. Some foods that are good sources of nutrients are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread. Some people think that healthy foods are boring, but they should think again! Nutritious foods can be fun and tasty. Recipes like sweet potato pancakes and blueberry burgers make nutritious food fun. What is the best heading for each paragraph? Problems with Being Overweight Good Health Food The Importance of Nutrients

Step 5 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise the items

Writing Items Writing items can be fun, but it can also be challenging. The first question is, what information from the reading passage will measure the elements in your construct definition? One technique that will help you answer this question is to read the passage yourself, turn the paper over, and write down all of the points that you remember from the passage. This will help you identify the key information.

Writing Items Once you have determined the key information from the passage, turn the paper over and identify where in the passage this information comes from. You want to avoid testing information from one part of the passage. In other words, if your passage has seven paragraphs, the information you test should come from all seven paragraphs. I like to highlight or underline the information in the passage that I will write questions about. This way I can make sure that I am using the entire passage for my questions.

Writing Items Now, write your items using the item formats you have decided to use. Make sure to include items that test everything in your construct definition. For example, if your construct definition includes understanding the main idea, you should have items that test this.

Step 6 Think about the purpose of the test Define the construct you want to measure Select reading passages Decide what item formats to use Write the items Revise the items

Revising Finally, don’t forget to revise your reading test! After you write your test, put it aside for 1 day. Then, read it again, and correct any mistakes you find. Then, Pilot your test. This means to try a test before you give it to test-takers. Piloting is very important because it allows you to see if the test has any problems. To pilot your test, you can ask another teacher to take it. You should ask the teacher if the test was confusing, if the directions were clear, and if he or she could answer all of the questions using the reading passages, but none without reading the passages. Remember John Ashley’s story!

Key Terms & Concepts New Term(s): (to) pilot / piloting Review: Construct definition Diagnostic test Proficiency test Placement test Achievement test (formative and summative) Item

Next Steps Now, you will read about vocabulary. This is activity # 5.