A Computer Adaptive Individualized Test For Reading Comprehension

Foreign language testing appears and develops with foreign language teaching. Up to now, foreign language testing has been an independent subject, which develops toward progressive, scientific and effective direction. It has not simply focused on testing results, but has gradually focused on individualization and processiblization. This study attempts to demonstrate that a model — Computer Adaptive Individualized Test for Reading Comprehension (TEM 4) (CAITRC) improves the reading comprehension abilities of the students by using the qualitative and quantitative approaches, and directed by item response theory, second language acquisition, cognitive science, and language testing. In order to test the hypothesis, the study proceeds with an interview, a pretest, and testing training applying the model. The model can be operated automatically and manually.In the age of the rapid development of scientific technology, language testing (foreign language testing) also develops alongside with language teaching. Meanwhile, language testing adopts the advanced technology, with the advanced theories. Now in America, CAT displays its functions fully in education tests, career measurements, personnel evaluations, etc, such as GRE (Graduate Record Examination), GMA (Graduate for Management and Administration Test), and NNCLT (Nurse National Committee License Test). In China, the standardized testing began from 1980s and the CAT develops very fast and has gained some achievements, for example, the application in CET, the research of computer-assistant language tests system in Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. These evidently show that CAT represents the direction and stress of testing development.With the occurrence of structuralism in foreign language teaching, the contents and methodologies of language testing changed gradually, although this change was a little bit more slowly. After the utility of analogue computer, language testing began to use the new technology to calculate scores. Then some new technologies and theories were used in language testing in order to improve its development such as the classic true score model, generalizability theory and the item response theory. Till now, the item response theory is a more relatively...