Abstract: For learning programmes to function efficiently and by inference if they are to be successfully reformed or updated, they should be seen as a system. Within the system there are three core elements: curriculum, delivery, assessment. As with any other system, these elements must be based on a single philosophy of learning supported by clearly defined model of language ability and progression and underpinned by a measurement model. All of this needs to be done with the learner at the heart of the process.
With this in mind, I will propose that the system, and each of its elements, must meet predetermined academic and pedagogic requirements. In other words, they must conform to clearly stated standards of both language and test development. I will argue that the former of these standards should be driven by a localised CEFR, while the latter should be driven by an established test development model, in this case the socio-cognitive model.
However, this is not likely to be enough. For a new, reformed or updated system to function as planned by its developers, it needs to be accepted by the major stakeholder groups that make up the population of the context-of-use. In order to ensure that this can happen, developers should develop a clearly stated theory of change (put simply: what they hope to achieve) and a corresponding theory of action (put simply: how they intend to achieve it). It is critical that these are based on the needs and expectations of the key stakeholders, as is the need to communicate with these groups and individuals in a timely and appropriate manner. In this way, the social consequences (both intended and unintended) of the implementation of the system can be closely monitored and effectively dealt with. This thinking is reflected in two approaches to test development and validation: the Comprehensive Learning System (O’Sullivan, 2020) and the Integrated Arguments approach (Chalhoub-Deville and O’Sullivan, 2020). Returning to the concept of placing the learner at the centre of the process, I conclude by reflecting on the increasingly important area of equality, diversity and inclusion, suggesting that this forms the fourth pillar upon which a success system is built.
Speaker: Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE - Head of Assessment Research & Development at the British Council
Bio: Professor Barry O’Sullivan is the Head of Assessment Research & Development at the British Council where he was responsible for the design and development of the Aptis test service. He has undertaken research across many areas on language testing and assessment and its history and has worked on the development and refinement of the socio-cognitive model of test development and validation since 2000. He is particularly interested in the communication of test validation and in test localisation. He has presented his work at many conferences around the world, while over 100 of his publications have appeared in a range of international journals, books and technical reports. He has worked on many test development and validation projects over the past 25 years and advises ministries and institutions on assessment policy and practice.
Barry was the founding president of the UK Association of Language Testing and Assessment (UKALTA) and holds honorary and visiting chairs at a number of universities globally. In 2016 he was awarded fellowship of the Academy of Social Science in the UK, and was elected to Fellowship of the Asian Association for Language Assessment in 2017. He was awarded an OBE for his contribution to English language testing in 2019.
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