Using different carrots: How incentivization affects proficiency testing outcomes

Abstract

This study represents program‐level action research. A U.S. university Spanish language program had a goal for students to reach the ACTFL (2012) Intermediate Mid level after 2 years. An empirical question that resulted after regular end‐of‐year testing was whether the students were doing their best on assessments. To investigate this, 253 end‐of‐second‐year students were divided into two experimental conditions: (a) 95 students received up to 10% of their final grade based on meeting the speaking goal, and (b) 73 students received up to 5% of their grade on the same criterion. Eighty‐five students formed a control group with no grading incentive. All took ACTFL tests in speaking (the Oral Proficiency Interview‐computerized [OPIc]), listening (Listening Proficiency Test), and reading (Reading Proficiency Test). The group whose OPIc score counted for 10% performed significantly higher than other two groups. Females were more positively affected by the incentivization. Programs with language goals should consider incentivized proficiency‐based exit tests to motivate their students (Chalhoub‐Deville, 1997).

The Role of Language in Intercultural Communication

“…A number scholars confirm that testing is a motive for students to learn a foreign language (Smith and Stansfield, 2017;Gass, Van Gorp & Winke, 2019;Peng, 2019). The scientists of Michigan, Cambridge, and other universities are the reputable developers and leaders in this field.…”

Assisted self‐assessment to optimize the OPIc test experience

“…Following previous research (Gass et al, 2019; Kenyon & Malabonga, 2001; Ma & Winke, 2019; Thompson et al, 2016), participants' ratings on the OPIc were converted to integers with a score from 1 to 10, with each number corresponding to each sublevel from Novice Low to Superior (see Tigchelaar, 2019, for discussion). To address the first research question of how successfully participants independently select an OPIc test form that will yield a ratable sample, the participants' responses to the Form Selection Scale were compared to their final OPIc rating to see if that rating fell within the potential range of the OPIc form that they would have selected.…”