| This study outlines a rationale and methodology for the use of a Rasch perspective in the development and analysis of a test of academic listening for placement in a university level intensive English program (IEP). The logic of placement testing in the IEP and in other placement settings generally is based on the assumption that the test will succeed in spreading students out along out along a continuum of ability, and that higher scores on this continuum will reflect higher levels of ability. Both of these properties are present in a test that fits the Rasch model.; The reported study involved the attempt to adhere to the theoretical requirements of the Rasch model throughout the test development process, while simultaneously basing test format and content on the most recent concepts of academic listening ability as indicated in the literature. Toward this end, non-scripted mini-lectures on realistic classroom topics were used a stimulus texts, and test questions were based only on those informational elements that proficient English speakers are able to retain from listening to these texts.; Rasch analysis was used to analyze whole-test performance; and in a few instances, these results were found to also provide useful diagnostic clues for individual items. In addition to the Rasch analysis, predictors of item difficulty, both intuitive and based on textual features, were collected and compared against empirical results. Suggestions are made toward further improving the IEP test used in this study, and the application of similar test development procecdures in other language placement settings is recommended. |
