Examining maintained authenticity in a modified process-oriented English placement test

Attempting to create an authentic placement exam for a program using process-oriented writing pedagogy presents many challenges. Practitioners and researchers have debated both the nature of authentic assessment and nature of process-oriented writing for more than forty years. The University of Illinois found some success creating an authentic process-oriented English Placement Test in 2000, but over the next twenty years that exam underwent many changes. Using a database of exams from Summer 2018, this thesis investigates whether the test takers utilized the first drafting period in a way consistent with how process-oriented writing is taught to ESL students at the University of Illinois. Four main patterns of first drafts were found and while all of these indicated some level of process-oriented writing they were not all consistent with the process-oriented writing pedagogy at the University of Illinois. Additionally, this thesis investigated the changes in writing from what was submitted at the end of the first drafting period to what was submitted at the end of the final drafting period and whether those changes aligned with what would be expected of process-oriented writing. Process-oriented writing involves a mix of micro and macro revisions to writing which was not the finding in this data. Post-test surveys provided test taker perspective on the exam and findings were consistently positive.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Heald, Margaret

Contributors dc:contributor

• Yan, Xun

• Process-oriented writing
• ESL
• Assessment authenticity
• English placement test

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Margaret Heald

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108473