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3b)

i. Describe the Discrete Point Test and Integrative Test and how it will be used to

assess language content.

a. Discrete Point Test and Integrative Test  Language tests may also be categorised as either discrete point or

integrative. Discrete point tests examine one element at a time. Integrative tests,

on the other hand, re!uires the candidate to combine many language elements

in the completion o" a tas#$ %&ughes, '((* '+). It is a simultaneous measure o"

#nowledge and ability o" a variety o" language "eatures, modes, or s#ills.

  multiple choice type test is usually cited as an example o" a discrete point test

while essays are commonly regarded as the epitome o" integrative tests.

&owever, both the discrete point test and the integrative test are a matter o"

degree. test may be more discrete point than another and similarly a test maybe more integrative than another. Perhaps the more important aspect is to be

aware o" the discrete point or integrative nature o" a test as we must be care"ul o" 

what we believe the test measures.

This brings us to the !uestion o" how discrete point is a multiple choice !uestion

type item- hile it is de"initely more discrete point than an essay, it may still

re!uire more than /ust one s#ill or ability in order to complete. Let0s say you are

interested in testing a student0s #nowledge o" the relative pronoun and decide to

do so by using a multiple choice test item. I" he "ails to answer this test itemcorrectly, would you conclude that the student has problems with the relative

pronoun- The answer may not be as straight "orward as it seems. The test is

presented in textual "orm and there"ore re!uires the student to read. s such,

even the multiple choice test item involves some integration o" language s#ills as

this example shows, where in addition to the grammatical #nowledge o" relative

pronouns, the student must also be able to read and understand the !uestion.

Perhaps a clearer way o" viewing the distinction between the discrete point and

the integrative test is to examine the perspective each ta#es toward language. In

the discrete point test, language is seen to be made up o" smaller units and itmay be possible to test language by testing each unit at a time. Testing

#nowledge o" the relative pronoun, "or example, is certainly assessing the

students on a particular unit o" language and not on the language as a whole.

In an integrative test, on the other hand, the perspective o" language is that o" an

integrated whole which cannot be bro#en up into smaller units or elements.

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&ence, the testing o" language should maintain the integrity or wholeness o" the

language.

ii. 1ompare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages o" the three

approaches to scoring essays.

 

2coring

 pproach

 dvantages Disadvantages

&olistic

• uic#ly graded

• Provide a public

standard that isunderstood by theteachers and studentsali#e

• 4elatively higher degreeo" rater reliability

•  pplicable to the

assessment o" manydi""erent topics

• 5mphasise the students0

strengths rather thantheir wea#nesses.

• The single score may actually mas#

di""erencesacross individual compositions.

• Does not provide a lot o" diagnostic

"eedbac#

 nalytical

• It provides clear

guidelines in grading inthe "orm o" the variouscomponents.

•  llows the graders to

consciously addressimportant aspects o"writing.

• riting ability is unnaturally split up into

components.

6b/ective

• 5mphasises the

students0 strengthsrather than theirwea#nesses.

• 2till some degree o" sub/ectivity

involved.

•  ccentuates negative aspects o" the

learner0swriting without giving credit "or what

they cando well.