An Introduction to Design Patterns in Language Assessment
PADI Technical Report, 18. SRI International, (January 2008)Abstract
Assessment design patterns lay out considerations for building assessment tasks that address targeted aspects or situations of language use. They differ from test specifications by focusing on assessment arguments at a narrative level and are organized around aspects of language use that could be detailed in different ways for different purposes or circumstances. A design pattern thus encapsulates experience and research about some aspect of language use, organized around the structure of assessment arguments, as a starting point for designing tasks that will in addition satisfy the constraints and purposes of the job at hand. The rationale and structure of design patterns are described, and their use in language assessment is illustrated with examples concerning the use of language for special purposes, contextualized listening skills, and content-specific story-tellings.