Timed versus At-Home Assessment Tests: Does Time Affect the Quality of Second Language Learners' Written Compositions?

Autor/in	Kenworthy, Roger
Titel	Timed versus At-Home Assessment Tests: Does Time Affect the Quality of Second Language Learners' Written Compositions?
Quelle	In: TESL-EJ, 10 (2006) 1, (10 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1072-4303
Schlagwörter	Writing (Composition); Writing Tests; Timed Tests; Second Language Learning; English Language Learners; Statistical Analysis; Computer Assisted Testing; Incidence; Statistical Significance; Grammar; Error Analysis (Language); Essays; Diagnostic Tests; Placement; Intermode Differences; College Students; Educational Practices; Home Study; Educational Environment; Foreign Countries; Hong Kong + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schreibübung; Writing test; Schreibtest; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Statistische Analyse; Vorkommen; Grammatik; Error analysis; Language; Fehleranalyse; Essay; Aufsatzunterricht; Diagnostic test; Diagnostischer Test; Betriebspraktikum; Praktikum; Collegestudent; Bildungspraxis; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt; Ausland; Hongkong
Abstract	This preliminary study examines what the effects of additional time and different media have upon the overall quality of English language learner's written assessment tests. Sixteen intermediate-level students (L1 Cantonese), enrolled at a satellite campus of an American university within Asia, manually wrote a 45-minute timed placement test in the confines of an educational setting. Based upon identical topics provided for this first set of writings, several weeks later these same students were allotted one week to complete a computer-generated essay at their personal residence. Statistical analyses (t-tests) revealed mostly insignificant differences between the frequency counts of selected lexical features found within both sets of writings. By contrast, there were statistically significant differences in the number of reported grammatical errors. On the whole, when compared to the timed writings, the at-home essays were characterized as having fewer numbers of grammatical errors and greater holistic scores which supports the idea that participants efficiently used additional time to affect overall textual quality. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	TESL-EJ. e-mail: editor@tesl-ej.org; Web site: http://tesl-ej.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01