Just a few words: how assessors evaluate minimal texts
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Paul Meara
Abstract
This paper describes a new methodology for examining the way assessors make subjective evaluations of written texts. The method presents texts to assessors one word at a time in a cumulative fashion, and asks them to indicate when they have enough material to make a judgment that they feel confident about. Preliminary results from this approach suggest that assessors require only very small amounts of text in order to make a judgment — typically thirty words or so. Non-native speaker assessors require slightly more text than native speaker assessors. The locus of the decision points varies enormously, however.
The implications of this data for our understanding of wholistic judgements typically made with examination material are discussed.
© Walter de Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Knowledge of writing
- Recognition of emotion in English voices by speakers of Japanese, Spanish and English
- Screening appropriate teaching materials Closings from textbooks and television soap operas
- Constraints on the shape of second language learner varieties
- Just a few words: how assessors evaluate minimal texts
Articles in the same Issue
- Knowledge of writing
- Recognition of emotion in English voices by speakers of Japanese, Spanish and English
- Screening appropriate teaching materials Closings from textbooks and television soap operas
- Constraints on the shape of second language learner varieties
- Just a few words: how assessors evaluate minimal texts
