Abstract

JANSSEN, Gerriet; MEIER, Valerie  and  TRACE, Jonathan. Classical test theory and item response theory: Two understandings of one high-stakes performance exam. Colomb. Appl. Linguist. J. [online]. 2014, vol.16, n.2, pp.167-184. ISSN 0123-4641.  https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.calj.2014.2.a03.

Language testing professionals and teacher educators have articulated the need for a broad variety stakeholders--including classroom teachers-- to develop assessment literacy. In this paper, we argue that when teachers are involved in local assessment development projects, they can expand their assessment knowledge and skills beyond what is necessary for conducting principled classroom assessments. We further claim that a particular analytic approach, Rasch analysis, should be considered as one possible element of this expanded assessment literacy. To this end, we use placement exam data from one Colombian university to illustrate how analyses from item response theory perspectives (Rasch analysis) differ from, and can usefully complement classical test theory.

Keywords : assessment literacy; classical test theory; item response theory; language testing; Rasch analysis.

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