The Second Language Proficiency Test is adaptive. Each correct or incorrect answer affects the progression of the test, so that the respondent’s proficiency level can be determined effectively and quickly. The SLPT’s performance depends on the interaction of the platform with appropriate content that is carefully chosen, finely calibrated, associated with predefined levels of difficulty, and classified in relevant categories.
Each item added to the bank using the Editing module consists of the following:
The Editing module includes six types of items:
When you access the Editing module, the default view is the Items page, which contains all of the test items in a list. This is where you can add new items, modify, duplicate, delete or print existing items, as well as preview items on the Web.
If there is a large number of elements in the list, you can navigate the pages using the commands on the right of the page, above and below the list: |
The available headings are:
You can search the Items page list on the basis of keywords and/or specific criteria using the search bar located below the page header.
The available search parameters are:
Keywords: A string of characters that may include words, numbers or a series of words and/or numbers
Field: Use the Field list to narrow the search to a specific field in the list of items. These fields were completed when the item was created or modified in the Editing module. The available fields are:
Type: Use the Type list to narrow the search to a specific item type. The type was selected when the item was created in the Editing module. The available types are:
Category: Use the Category list to narrow the search to a specific item category. The category was selected when the item was created in the Editing module. Categories are defined in the Administration module.
Linguistic scale: Use the Linguistic scale list to narrow the search to a specific linguistic scale level. The level was selected when the item was created in the Editing module. Levels are defined in the Administration module.
On the Items page, you can add or modify an item. To add an item, you must select the type of item to add from the Add an item drop-down list. There are 6 available item types.
After you select an item type, you must complete the four sections of the new item's page: the first three sections apply to all item types, while some of the Content section varies according to the type of item selected.
You can always return to the Items page by clicking the Back to the items list link at the top or bottom of each page. If you don't click Save before returning to the Items page, all your changes will be lost. |
To create a new item:
To modify an item:
The text editor enables importing and editing of text and images. In the Editing module, the text editor is used as part of the Multimedia and Content sections on the item's page. In each of these sections, you can copy and paste text into the text editor.
IMPORTANT: Using the Paste plain text function (icon resembling a clipboard and notepad) allows you to copy text from another word processing application and strip it of underlying code before pasting it into the text field, thereby preventing potential problems with the way the text displays or interacts with the SLPT platform.
You can also add images using the text editor (icon resembling a canvas). If you use the text editor to insert an image, the window that appears allows you to enter text in the Texte de remplacement (alternative text) field as you would when adding an image to the Multimedia section.
Using the text editor
You can enlarge the text field as needed by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner of the field or by clicking on the last icon on the toolbar. Most of the options on the text editor's toolbar are similar to those found in other editing software:
To review their functions in the Editing module, point your cursor at each option's icon.
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The following editing options may be less familiar:
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Insert a non-breaking space at the location of the cursor in the text field |
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Insert a special character at the location of the cursor in the text field |
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Paste plain text in order to remove underlying code from another application |
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Display the HTML source code |
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Insert an image |
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View the text field in full screen mode |
Using the text editor to add an image
On the text editor's toolbar, click the Image button. The Propriétés de l'image window appears.
To use an image file already stored on the server:
To use an image file that is not stored on the server:
Using the Informations sur l'image tab
Using the Envoyer tab
The General Settings section applies to all item types. You can enlarge the text field as needed by clicking and dragging the bottom right corner of the field or by clicking on the last icon on the toolbar.
There are two fields that require you to enter text:
You can always return to the Items page by clicking the Back to the items list link at the top or bottom of each page. If you don't click Save before returning to the Items page, all your changes will be lost. |
All test items, regardless of type, can include content added in the Multimedia section.
NOTE: To see all of the available multimedia fields, ensure that the white and green triangle icon in the upper right corner of the section is pointing upwards.
The available fields are:
You can always return to the Items page by clicking the Back to the items list link at the top or bottom of each page. If you don't click Save before returning to the Items page, all your changes will be lost. |
The Text field generally contains a passage the respondent must read in order to answer the test questions. You can copy text from any type of word processing document and paste it into the text field.
IMPORTANT: To avoid copying underlying code from another application, use the Paste plain text function available in the text editor. You may then safely apply formatting to the text using the text editor.
If you wish, you can add an image to the text field by using the text editor, but the more common method of adding images is to use the Image field situated below the text field in the Multimedia section:
To add an image
The Image field generally contains an image the respondent must view in order to answer the test questions. The image added here could be a contextual image that provides additional information to support the text or audio associated with the item. It could also be text presented in the form of an image (a poster, an advertisement, a letter, etc.).
To add a sound file
The Sound field generally contains an audio track the respondent must listen to in order to answer the test questions.
To add video
The Video field generally contains a video the respondent must watch in order to answer the test questions.
The Properties section applies to all item types.
NOTE: To see all of the available properties, ensure that the white and green triangle icon in the upper right corner of the section is pointing upwards.
Properties allow for the classification of items (Item category, Linguistic Scale level, Task), their configuration (Allotted time to answer) and their status (Approved Item or to Recalibrate).
A user can only modify properties within the limits set by their assigned role. Some properties (Item category, Linguistic Scale level, Task, Indicator, Allotted time to answer) are entered by the editor when adding items, as specified in the original documentation provided by content specialists. Difficulty levels, Discrimination and Chance are added either manually by an approver from the data provided by an adaptive test specialist following the statistical analysis of a representative sample of respondents or automatically when the TPLS administrator proceeds to calibration. The Approved item and to Recalibrate properties can only be used by an approver.
You can always return to the Items page by clicking the Back to the items list link at the top or bottom of each page. If you don't click Save before returning to the Items page, all your changes will be lost. |
There are ten possible properties:
The Content section of an item includes several fields, some of which vary according to the type of item selected. To see all of the available content fields, ensure that the white and green triangle icon in the upper right corner of the section is pointing upwards.
The first two fields are common to all types:
You can always return to the Items page by clicking the Back to the items list link at the top or bottom of each page. If you don't click Save before returning to the Items page, all your changes will be lost. |
The other fields in the Content section vary by item type. Detailed descriptions of how to build each of the item types can be found in the following pages:
An Associations item requires that the respondent associate elements in two columns by dragging items in the column on the right to align with those in the column on the left.
To create a new Associations item:
A Multiple choice item requires that the respondent answer the question or statement by selecting the correct answer from a list of possible responses.
To create a new Multiple choice item:
A Sequencing item requires that the respondent drag the answer choices to organize them in the correct order, based on the instructions for the question.
To create a new sequencing item:
A Multiple answers item requires that the respondent select the correct answer(s) from a list of available responses. A Multiple answers item is different from a Multiple choice item because Multiple answers can include more than one correct response, and the respondent must identify all the correct answers from the responses provided.
NOTE: In this version of the test, the Multiple answers type is not used, in order to limit the complexity of tasks to the level of the Multiple choice item type. This type of item is more appropriate for advanced students.
To create a new multiple answers item:
A Cloze text with drag-and-drop item provides a sentence or paragraph containing blank spaces with all the possible answers (correct and incorrect) listed above the text. The respondent must drag words to the appropriate blank spaces to complete the sentence or paragraph.
To create a new cloze text with drag-and-drop item:
Example
This procedure describes how to enter the following sentence as a cloze text question in the Text field of the Cloze text with drag-and-drop page:
The capital of Canada is Ottawa, and the Canadian national anthem is O Canada.
The Text field looks similar to the following:
When you click Web preview, the question appears similar to the following:
IMPORTANT: Planning a cloze text with drag-and-drop is essential. Make a list of all the possible correct and incorrect answers you will use. Since all possible answers (correct and incorrect) appear above the cloze text, you do not need to provide an incorrect answer for every instance of a gap. Be especially careful not to add the same incorrect answer to multiple gaps, or you will see duplication in the answer choices, as illustrated in the following example:
The Text field in the editing module:
In the Web preview:
A Cloze text with menus item provides a sentence or paragraph containing blank spaces with all the possible answers (correct and incorrect) listed in a menu. The respondent must select the correct words for the blank spaces to complete the sentence or paragraph.
To create a new cloze text with menus item:
Example
The following procedure is an example of how to enter the following sentence as a cloze text question in the Text field of the Cloze text with menus page:
The capital of Canada is Ottawa, and the Canadian national anthem is O Canada.
The Text field looks similar to the following:
When you click Web preview, the question appears similar to the following:
To add a new item similar to an existing item, the Duplicate function allows you to create a copy of an existing item and add it to the list of items.
To duplicate an existing item:
NOTE: A user can only duplicate an item if their assigned role allows it.
An item can only appear in the SLPT once it is approved.
To approve an item:
NOTE: A user can only approve an item if their assigned role allows it.
You can print one or more items from the Items page list.
To print one or more items:
Delete can be used, for example, when an item appears to be dysfunctional or corrupted, or when an experimental or incorrect item has inadvertently been left in the database. Note that deleting an item removes all of its data including its ID, which can leave gaps in the numerical order of the Items list. It is therefore recommended to use deletion sparingly.
To delete one or more items:
You can export all of the items in the Editing module's items list into a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file for analysis or offline reference.
To export the items to a CSV file, go to the Editing module's Items page and click Export all in CSV format. The CSV file is downloaded to your computer, containing the data for all the items in the list.
You can preview how all the items on the Editing module's Items page will appear to a respondent, including answering the questions within the allotted times.
To preview all the items in the list: