This course promotes in-depth enquiry of key principles in the field of testing, assessment and evaluation.

You will extend your knowledge and develop your skills as test designers and evaluators, and be provided with the insights to allow for further development after the course. You will be equipped to critically evaluate the full range of test types, assessment procedures and examinations and offer well-informed leadership to your colleagues and institutions in the key focus areas.

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" The quality of the teaching was excellent. There were loads of ideas to incorperate and give thought to. "

Participant - 2018

Is this course for you?

 
Location: Norwich
 
Experience: ELT professionals at all levels
 
Language Level: B2/C1 or higher
 
Course dates: 
19 - 30 August 2024
 
Certification:
NILE Certificate
Option for Trinity CertTP
 
Course Length: 2 weeks
 
Course fees:
Registration fee: £175
Course fee: £1125
Trinity CertPT qualification (optional): £325
 
Accommodation (2 weeks):
Homestay (half-board): £546
Residential (half-board): £616
Residential (self-catering): £546
 
Minimum age: 18
 
Max class size: 16
 
Free social and cultural programme
 
Cross-curricular and cultural workshops
 
Specialist ELT Library
 
Complementary eLearning platform

Course content

 
Key issues in test design, construction and validation
 
Test purpose and test specifications
 
Putting principles into practice
 
Making testing and assessment coherent with teaching
 
Testing and assessing the full range of communicative skills
 
Testing and assessment of grammar and vocabulary
 
Basic statistical issues in testing: item analysis and test evaluation
 
Qualitative research methods in practice
 
A critical review of exams
 
Testing and assessing young learners
 
‘Authentic’ modes of assessment: self-, peer- and portfolio assessment
 
Testing and digital technology
 
Keeping up with language change: making decisions about what to teach

In this course you will engage with the key principles of testing and assessment and explore the range of options available to design robust and reliable assessment tools. You will consolidate and extend your understanding of assessment frameworks, of approaches to measuring the four skills and grammar and vocabulary, and gain an insight into research and validation tools and procedures.

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Timetable

This course consists of 50 hours of tuition, delivered between 09:15 and 16:00, Monday - Friday. You will also take part in cross-curricular workshops on a variety of topics, and each course includes a free evening and weekend programme of social and cultural activities and trips.

Sample Timetable

Further Information

Specific course content comes from feedback you and other participants give us through pre-course questionnaires, identifying your needs and priorities.

Time will be built into the course for reflection and for you to consider how to adapt ideas from the course to your classroom in your own professional contexts.

NILE offers homestay accommodation with carefully selected hosts and residential accommodation at the University of East Anglia. NILE’s dedicated student welfare team can be reached 24 hours a day.

All NILE courses involve a significant element of English language improvement and/or the development of language awareness.

Course Leader: Thom Kiddle

Thom has worked at NILE since 2011. He has previously worked in Portugal, the UK, Australia, Thailand and Chile in language teaching, teacher training and language assessment.

He has a Master’s degree in Language Testing from Lancaster University and the Cambridge Delta. Thom is treasurer and founding director of AQUEDUTO – the Association for Quality Education and Training Online; webmaster for the Testing, Evaluation and Assessment Special Interest Group of IATEFL; and Vice Chair of the Eaquals Board of Trustees. Thom was also a plenary speaker at IATEFL 2021.


Available dates:

Course dates Location Course length
19 August - 30 August 2024 Norwich 2 weeks
19 August - 30 August 2024 with Trinity CertPT Norwich 2 weeks

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