The Chinese as second language multidimensional computerized adaptive testing system construction

Abstract

With rising demand of Chinese as Second Language (CSL) learning, Chinese Proficiency Test became more and more popular recently. There are several major proficiency tests with paper-pencil (P&P) formats for Chinese learners including Taiwan's test of proficiency-Huayu (TOP-Huayu), the mainland's Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), and America's Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). In this study, Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) is applied and CSL Proficiency Index is used as guidelines to develop a multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (MCAT) system for enhancing the CSL proficiency test. This research collected empirical data via the computerized based test (CBT) followed by developing and conducting a simulation study on a MCAT system. The proposed system provides a framework of using item response theory (IRT) as the ability scoring method and applies to the process as a MCAT. In addition, this research will also go through the evaluation of the effectiveness of the process on MCAT system. There were 658 empirical data collected from Grace Christian Collage in Philippine on September 2009. At the end of this research the result indicated that recommend CSL MCAT System applied MAP as the ability estimation method for this MCAT System. The interface of the MCAT system is also present at this research.