Investigating the construct measured by banked gap-fill items: Evidence from eye-tracking. (January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCray, Gareth; Brunfaut, Tineke
• Is Part Of: Language testing. Volume 35:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 73
• Publication Date: 2018-01
• Subjects: Banked gap-fill -- cloze -- cognitive processing -- eye-tracking -- testing reading; Language and languages -- Ability testing -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Examinations -- Periodicals; 407.6
• DOI: 10.1177/0265532216677105
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0265-5322

Abstract

This study investigates test-takers' processing while completing banked gap-fill tasks, designed to test reading proficiency, in order to test theoretically based expectations about the variation in cognitive processes of test-takers across levels of performance. Twenty-eight test-takers' eye traces on 24 banked gap-fill items (on six tasks) were analysed according to seven online eye-tracking measures representing overall, text and task processing. Variation in processing was related to test-takers' level of performance on the tasks overall. In particular, as hypothesized, lower-scoring students exerted more cognitive effort on local reading and lower-level cognitive processing in contrast to test-takers who attained higher scores. The findings of different cognitive processes associated with variation in scores illuminate the construct measured by banked gap-fill items, and therefore have implications for test design and the validity of score interpretations.