Quantitative Data Analysis for Language Assessment : Fundamental Techniques

Quantitative Data Analysis for Language Assessment Volume I: Fundamental Techniques is a resource book that presents the most fundamental techniques of quantitative data analysis in the field of language assessment. Each chapter provides an accessible explanation of the selected technique, a review of language assessment studies that have used the technique, and finally, an example of an authentic study that uses the technique. Readers also get a taste of how to apply each technique through the help of supplementary online resources that include sample data sets and guided instructions. Language assessment students, test designers, and researchers should find this a unique reference as it consolidates theory and application of quantitative data analysis in language assessment.

Vahid Aryadoust is an Assistant Professor of language assessment literacy at the National Institute of Education of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has led a number of language assessment research projects funded by, for example, the Ministry of Education (Singapore), Michigan Language Assessment (USA), Pearson Education (UK), and Paragon Testing Enterprises (Canada), and published his research in, for example, Language Testing, Language Assessment Quarterly, Assessing Writing, Educational Assessment, Educational Psychology, and Computer Assisted Language Learning. He has also (co)authored a number of book chapters and books which have been published by Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Springer, Cambridge Scholar Publishing, Wiley Blackwell, etc. He is a member of the Advisory Board of multiple international journals including Language Testing, Language Assessment Quarterly, Educational Assessment, Educational Psychology, and Asia Pacific Journal of Education. In addition, he has been awarded the Intercontinental Academia Fellowship (2018–2019) which is an advanced research program launched by the University-Based Institutes for Advanced Studies. Vahid’s areas of interest include theory-building and quantitative data analysis in language assessment, neuroimaging in language comprehension, and eye tracking research.

Michelle Raquel is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre of Applied English Studies, University of Hong Kong where she teaches language testing and assessment to postgraduate students. She has extensive assessment development and management experience in the Hong Kong education and government sector. In particular, she has either led or been part of a group that designed and administered large-scale computer-based language proficiency and diagnostic assessments such as the Diagnostic English Language Tracking Assessment (DELTA). She specializes in data analysis, specifically Rasch measurement, and has published several articles in international journals on this topic as well as academic English, diagnostic assessment, dynamic assessment of English second-language dramatic skills, and English for specific purposes (ESP) testing. Michelle’ research areas are classroom-based assessment, diagnostic assessment, and workplace assessment.