Fred Davidson
Biographic Data
| ID | 106016 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Fred Davidson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Fred |
| FAMILY NAME | Davidson |
| SIGNATURE | DAVIDSON F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1985 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Test Specifications
A test specification (“spec”) is a generative blueprint for test items or tasks from which many equivalent test items or tasks can be produced.
Mercury Exposure in Ireland
The study demonstrates the benefit of human biomonitoring for assessing and comparing internal exposure levels, both on a population and an individual basis. It enables the potential harmful impact of mercury to be minimised in those highly exposed, and can therefore significantly contribute to population health
Language Testing, Migration and Citizenship edited by Guus Extra, Massimiliano Spotti and Piet Van Avermaet
Effective rating scale development for speaking tests
Rating scale design and development for testing speaking is generally conducted using one of two approaches: the measurement-driven approach or the performance data-driven approach. The measurement-driven approach prioritizes the ordering of descriptors onto a single scale. Meaning is derived from the scaling methodology and the agreement of trained judges as to the place of any descriptor on the scale. The performance data-driven approach, on th…
Test architecture, test retrofit
Just like buildings, tests are designed and built for specific purposes, people, and uses. However, both buildings and tests grow and change over time as the needs of their users change. Sometimes, they are also both used for purposes other than those intended in the original designs. This paper explores architecture as a metaphor for language test development. Firstly, it describes test purpose and use, and how this affects test design. Secondly…
The Common European Framework of Reference (Cefr) and the design of language tests
Language test development proceeds best when the test's effect is borne in mind, throughout the test development process. The authors discuss the flexible language of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and explore the pragmatic utility of such language to guide language test development. They select service encounters (e.g. airline ticket sales, open-air markets) as a sample language use domain to illustrate demonstra…
Tests in Life and Learning
This article is an imaginary Socratic dialogue between J. S. Mill and Michel Foucault, principally concerning educational assessment
The use of test method characteristics in the content analysis and design of EFL proficiency tests
Content considerations are widely viewed to be essential in the design of language tests, and evidence of content relevance and coverage provides an important component in the validation of score interpretations. Content analysis can be viewed as the application of a model of test design to a particular measurement instrument, using judgements of trained analysts. Following Bachman (1990), a content analysis of test method characteristics and com…
Assessing Oral Communication Skills ‐ Reflections of an Examiner
Assessing Oral Communication Skills - Reflections of an Examiner
Norms appropriacy of achievement tests
Appropriacy of a nationally standardized test normed on English speakers but used with non-English speaking students is examined. Data from the 1988-89 school year in Illinois are analysed via reliability comparison, exploratory factor analysis (for comparison of dimensionality via principal components analysis) and comparison of variances. Generally, it appears that the use of this test was statistically defensible. This finding does not, howeve…
Criterion-Referenced Language Test Development
In discussing the use of both criterion-referenced measurement and norm-referenced measurement techniques for item analysis, Brown (1989) has called for strengthening the relationship between testing and the curriculum. Alderson and Wall (1993) have pointed out the need for actual studies on the existence of washback, or the influence of tests on teaching. This article answers those calls by presenting criterion-referenced language test developme…
The interlanguage metaphor and language assessment
The concept of 'interlanguage' is addressed with special attention to language assessment. Interlanguage assumes a single target norm, and this paper contends that major language tests uphold that norm. The paper challenges testing's role in the concept of interlanguage by challenging the mechanism by which such tests uphold that single norm and thereby suppress linguistic variety. It is a mechanism which operates by selecting for test items that…
From Fred Davidson
Some Comments on the Social Impact of Research in Tesol
ship and by professionals in other fields (e.g., anthropology, philosophy, sociology, law) prior to their revision and adoption. In summary, then, I would argue that more attention be paid to ethical issues in TESOL research, that TESOL professionals familiarize themselves with the ethical guidelines and reflect on them when planning, executing, and reporting research, and consider expanding their scope and specificity
Testing English across cultures
Symposium on Testing English Across Culturesl
Varieties of English
Tense in Indian English: a Sociolinguistic Perspective. By Rama Kant Agnihotri, Amrit Lai Khanna and Aditi Mukherjee
Person dimensionality in language test validation
In an attempt to extend our knowledge about potential implications of person dimensionality for language test validation, the study reported here was designed: (1) to identify person similarities in a language proficiency testing data set; (2) to attempt to relate such person dimensions to demographic information on the persons so as to provide appropriate labels for the dimensions; and (3) to investigate differential item functioning for the per…
A self-rating scale of English difficulty
This study has sought to demonstrate the utility of Rasch Model scalar analysis when applied to self-ratings of ability/difficulty associated with component skills of English as a second language. Eleven skill areas were rated for difficulty on a seven-point Likert-type scale by 228 ESL students at the University of California. Following appropriate tests of unidimen sionality, both skill area items and rating categories were calibrated for diffi…
From Fred Davidson
Criterion-Referenced Language Test Development
In discussing the use of both criterion-referenced measurement and norm-referenced measurement techniques for item analysis, Brown (1989) has called for strengthening the relationship between testing and the curriculum. Alderson and Wall (1993) have pointed out the need for actual studies on the existence of washback, or the influence of tests on teaching. This article answers those calls by presenting criterion-referenced language test developme…
Testing English across cultures
Assessing Oral Communication Skills - Reflections of an Examiner
The interlanguage metaphor and language assessment
The concept of 'interlanguage' is addressed with special attention to language assessment. Interlanguage assumes a single target norm, and this paper contends that major language tests uphold that norm. The paper challenges testing's role in the concept of interlanguage by challenging the mechanism by which such tests uphold that single norm and thereby suppress linguistic variety. It is a mechanism which operates by selecting for test items that…
Varieties of English
Tense in Indian English: a Sociolinguistic Perspective. By Rama Kant Agnihotri, Amrit Lai Khanna and Aditi Mukherjee
A self-rating scale of English difficulty
This study has sought to demonstrate the utility of Rasch Model scalar analysis when applied to self-ratings of ability/difficulty associated with component skills of English as a second language. Eleven skill areas were rated for difficulty on a seven-point Likert-type scale by 228 ESL students at the University of California. Following appropriate tests of unidimen sionality, both skill area items and rating categories were calibrated for diffi…
Person dimensionality in language test validation
In an attempt to extend our knowledge about potential implications of person dimensionality for language test validation, the study reported here was designed: (1) to identify person similarities in a language proficiency testing data set; (2) to attempt to relate such person dimensions to demographic information on the persons so as to provide appropriate labels for the dimensions; and (3) to investigate differential item functioning for the per…
Varieties of English
Tense in Indian English: a Sociolinguistic Perspective. By Rama Kant Agnihotri, Amrit Lai Khanna and Aditi Mukherjee
Some Comments on the Social Impact of Research in Tesol
ship and by professionals in other fields (e.g., anthropology, philosophy, sociology, law) prior to their revision and adoption. In summary, then, I would argue that more attention be paid to ethical issues in TESOL research, that TESOL professionals familiarize themselves with the ethical guidelines and reflect on them when planning, executing, and reporting research, and consider expanding their scope and specificity
Testing English across cultures
Symposium on Testing English Across Culturesl
Norms appropriacy of achievement tests
Appropriacy of a nationally standardized test normed on English speakers but used with non-English speaking students is examined. Data from the 1988-89 school year in Illinois are analysed via reliability comparison, exploratory factor analysis (for comparison of dimensionality via principal components analysis) and comparison of variances. Generally, it appears that the use of this test was statistically defensible. This finding does not, howeve…
Criterion-Referenced Language Test Development
In discussing the use of both criterion-referenced measurement and norm-referenced measurement techniques for item analysis, Brown (1989) has called for strengthening the relationship between testing and the curriculum. Alderson and Wall (1993) have pointed out the need for actual studies on the existence of washback, or the influence of tests on teaching. This article answers those calls by presenting criterion-referenced language test developme…
The interlanguage metaphor and language assessment
The concept of 'interlanguage' is addressed with special attention to language assessment. Interlanguage assumes a single target norm, and this paper contends that major language tests uphold that norm. The paper challenges testing's role in the concept of interlanguage by challenging the mechanism by which such tests uphold that single norm and thereby suppress linguistic variety. It is a mechanism which operates by selecting for test items that…
From Fred Davidson
The use of test method characteristics in the content analysis and design of EFL proficiency tests
Content considerations are widely viewed to be essential in the design of language tests, and evidence of content relevance and coverage provides an important component in the validation of score interpretations. Content analysis can be viewed as the application of a model of test design to a particular measurement instrument, using judgements of trained analysts. Following Bachman (1990), a content analysis of test method characteristics and com…
Assessing Oral Communication Skills ‐ Reflections of an Examiner
Assessing Oral Communication Skills - Reflections of an Examiner
The Common European Framework of Reference (Cefr) and the design of language tests
Language test development proceeds best when the test's effect is borne in mind, throughout the test development process. The authors discuss the flexible language of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and explore the pragmatic utility of such language to guide language test development. They select service encounters (e.g. airline ticket sales, open-air markets) as a sample language use domain to illustrate demonstra…
Tests in Life and Learning
This article is an imaginary Socratic dialogue between J. S. Mill and Michel Foucault, principally concerning educational assessment
Test architecture, test retrofit
Just like buildings, tests are designed and built for specific purposes, people, and uses. However, both buildings and tests grow and change over time as the needs of their users change. Sometimes, they are also both used for purposes other than those intended in the original designs. This paper explores architecture as a metaphor for language test development. Firstly, it describes test purpose and use, and how this affects test design. Secondly…
Effective rating scale development for speaking tests
Rating scale design and development for testing speaking is generally conducted using one of two approaches: the measurement-driven approach or the performance data-driven approach. The measurement-driven approach prioritizes the ordering of descriptors onto a single scale. Meaning is derived from the scaling methodology and the agreement of trained judges as to the place of any descriptor on the scale. The performance data-driven approach, on th…
Language Testing, Migration and Citizenship edited by Guus Extra, Massimiliano Spotti and Piet Van Avermaet
Mercury Exposure in Ireland
The study demonstrates the benefit of human biomonitoring for assessing and comparing internal exposure levels, both on a population and an individual basis. It enables the potential harmful impact of mercury to be minimised in those highly exposed, and can therefore significantly contribute to population health
Test Specifications
A test specification (“spec”) is a generative blueprint for test items or tasks from which many equivalent test items or tasks can be produced.
Computer Science (12 works) · Psychology (9 works) · Linguistics (8 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (7 works) · Philosophy (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Citation (6 works) · Library science (6 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · History (5 works)