A foreign language test construction system

Abstract

The Foreign Language Test Construction System aids the foreign language instructor in preparing examinations. The system interprets a test outline created by the instructor and produces one of several possible examinations. Any particular outline generates a variety of syntactically equivalent examinations allowing the instructor to administer multiple versions of the same test. The concept of creating a test outline reduces the amount of memory or disk space needed to store a test.The menu-driven system allows an instructor not familiar with computers to create examinations with minimal effort. The instructor simply follows the directions on the computer monitor and types the questions into the computer according to a previously specified format. The system stores a list of possible verbs and several classifications of nouns (countries, names, seasons). The system chooses words from this list according to the outline created by the instructor producing an almost limitless variety of equivalent examinations.