A Meaning-Based Multiple-Choice Test of Pragmatic Knowledge: Does It Work?

One of the most recent developments in language assessment, the assessment of pragmatic ability, continues to face a number of challenges. Among these, a key issue is that pragmatic ability remains as one of the least understood constructs in the field. While pragmatic ability has been the focus of much research in the last few decades, there is still a lack of consensus as to what components constitute this construct (Timpe-Laughlin, Wain, & Schmidgall, 2015). In addition, researchers differ in their perceptions of how it can be effectively and reliably elicited and assessed, particularly where practicality considerations may be of paramount concern. As such, along with the issue of construct definition, there is the paradox regarding which elicitation methods are to be used in this type of assessment

Learning-Oriented Assessment: The Learning Dimension

While learning-oriented assessment (LOA) situates learning as the ultimate goal of assessment, current assessment practices often fail to reflect the role of learning and its bidirectional interactions with assessment. During Teachers College Columbia University Roundtable in Second Language Studies (TCCRISLS) 2014, a number of remarks were made in order to address the importance of understanding the interrelationship of learning, teaching, and assessment

Optimized battery sizing for merchant solar PV capacity firming in different electricity markets

Comunicació presentada a IECON 2019 - 45th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (Lisbon, Portugal 14-17 Oct. 2019)This work analyses the minimum energy capacity requirements to be demanded to battery energy storage systems used in megawatt-range merchant solar PV plants to grant capacity firming. The operation of such a plant is simulated (with a 2-minute time step, at three different locations of the Iberian Peninsula, and for different battery sizes) after solving a quadratic programming optimization problem. The control algorithm takes into account the irradiance forecast and the intraday electricity market configuration, which presents certain peculiarities in the Iberian region with regard to other European markets. The analysis has been performed in an annual basis and current irradiance measured values have been used

Linfoma/Leucemia T del adulto: Entidad prevalente en Sudamérica: Adult Lymphoma / Leukemia T: Prevalent entity in South America

Adult T - lymphoma / leukemia is an aggressive T lymphoproliferative entity associated retrovirus HTLV-1- T.HTLV-1 infection is endemic in Japan, the Caribbean, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. In South America, we have Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Chile.Peru is endemic for this virus. The prevalence of retroviruses in Europe and the USA. USA It is less than 1% but in Peru it is estimated that around 3% of the healthy adult population is a carrier of the retrovirus.From Chile, there have been several ATLL reports since 1992 by Dra. Cabrera et al.El Linfoma/Leucemia T del adulto es una entidad linfoproliferativa T agresiva asociado al retrovirus, HTLV-1. La infección por HTLV-1 es endémica en Japón, Caribe, África, Sudamérica y en el Medio Este. En Sudamérica, tenemos a Perú, Brasil, Colombia y Chile.El Perú es endémico para este virus. La prevalencia del retrovirus en Europa y USA es menor del 1% pero en Perú se estima alrededor del 3% de la población adulta sana es portadora del retrovirus.De Chile, existen varios reportes de ATLL desde el año 1992 por la Dra. Cabrera y col

Exploring the Possibilities of Scenario-based Assessment: An Introduction

The field of language assessment has steadily been evolving over the years, with new approaches to construct definition and test design emerging as developments in research and technology arise. Different fields have helped inform theory and practice, and one approach, which began as part of K-12 assessment, seems particularly promising–the approach of Scenario-based Assessment (SBA). SBA was initially developed as part of the Cognitively Based Assessment of, for and as Learning (CBAL), an initiative that aimed to use findings from cognitive and behavioral sciences to inform the development of innovative assessments, such as those to be designed in alignment to the Common Core State Standards (Sabatini, Bennet, & Deane, 2011). In this way, SBA has been used to explore the assessment of mathematical skills (Bennet, 2011; Harris & Bauer, 2009), reading proficiency (O’Reily & Sheehan, 2009; Sabatini & O’Reily, 2013), and writing skills (Deane, Sabatini, & Fowles, 2012). Researchers have placed an increasing emphasis on SBA in the field of second language (L2) assessment over the years. Here at Teachers College (TC), Professor James Purpura has led students in spearheading research on SBA. In 2015, the Applied Linguistics & TESOL Program at TC, together with the Educational Testing Service, organized the first TC/ETS Forum on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment of English Language Learners on the topic of scenario-based language assessment in large-scale and local contexts. Students enrolled in Applied Linguistics internship classes at TC also developed a scenario-based placement exam for the Community Language Program. As an extension of our efforts to explore the possibilities of SBA, for this issue’s forum we invited two doctoral students in the Applied Linguistics Second Language Assessment Track at TC to discuss the opportunities that SBA affords for L2 assessment. Brian Carroll adopted a learning-oriented assessment perspective in examining SBA while Yuna Seong highlighted SBA’s potential in designing academic speaking assessments that are aligned to contemporary views of L2 proficiency. We hope that you will enjoy reading the forum

New Trends in Pragmatics Assessment Research: An Introduction

Even though it can be argued that pragmatics is an important element of the second language (L2) assessment research agenda, a number of challenges have consistently surfaced in this field. For example, adequate coverage of the construct has been consistently formidable, particularly considering that many studies take an atomistic view of pragmatics through their focus on speech acts rather than on contextualized language use (Roever, 2010). Likewise, issues of practicality and benchmarking remain underdeveloped, and understanding regarding the hierarchy of different types of pragmatic meanings continues to be limited (Roever, 2012, 2014). However, in recent years, there have been several attempts to expand our understanding of L2 pragmatics. As illustration, new models of pragmatic ability have been proposed (Purpura, 2017; Timpe-Laughlin, Wain, & Schmidgall, 2015), and it is hoped that these theoretical developments lead to practical applications in L2 pragmatics research and pedagogy

An Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda

On February 22, 2019, the Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (SALT) journal had the great pleasure of interviewing Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda, the invited speaker for the 2019 APPLE Lectures Series hosted by the Applied Linguistics and TESOL Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Matsuda was kind enough to take the time, during a very busy day, to speak about his research, his work on writing instruction and assessment, his thoughts on World Englishes, and his advice for new scholars working in the fields of Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Examining assistance in a scenario-based test of L2 argumentative speaking ability: A learning-oriented approach for assessing complex competencies in language education.

The current study explored the assessment of English Language Learners’ argumentative speaking ability. Specifically, the study involved the development and administration of a scenario-based test that aimed to measure learners’ ability to display competency in L2 argumentative speaking ability by building an argument from factual evidence and presenting it to a simulated audience. In addition, the study aimed to examine whether embedding assistance in the test can help overcome gaps in background knowledge. Following a mixed-methods approach, results from the test administration were analyzed using robust statistical analyses (e.g., MG-Theory, Rasch Analysis, Multiple Regression) and qualitative analysis of the responses (e.g., rhetorical moves and theme-based analysis). A learning-oriented approach (Purpura & Turner, 2018) to assessment as a design and validation framework was used to interpret qualitative and quantitative evidence. It is hoped that this research project will shed light on the assessment of a foreign language within complex tasks and will help understand the affordances of implementing embedded assistance in language assessment

Synthesis of a SAPO-34-based catalyst with high selectivity to light olefins and resistance to coke formation

L'éthylène et le propylène sont des produits largement utilisés dans l'industrie pétrochimique pour la fabrication de produits à valeur-ajouté tels les polymères. Cependant, leur production actuelle repose sur des technologies inefficaces et énergivores utilisant des combustibles fossiles comme matière première. Comme alternatif, la conversion du méthanol en oléfines (MTO) en utilisant des acides solides microporeux comme catalyseur représente une approche majeure pour la réduction de la demande énergétique et leur empreinte de carbone. En outre, le méthanol peut être fabriqué grâce à la gazéification de sources durables, ouvrant ainsi la possibilité de développer des alternatives « vertes ». Dans l'industrie, la SAPO-34 est utilisée pour la production d'oléfines de qualité polymère en raison de sa sélectivité exceptionnelle. Cependant, le catalyseur subit une désactivation à cause du dépôt de coke, se formant à une cadence relativement rapide. Cette porte, donc, sur la fabrication et les essais pour la réaction de MTO d'une SAPO-34 de type hiérarchique, composée d'une structure micro- et mésoporeuse. Dans la littérature, cette nouvelle configuration améliore la sélectivité vis-à-vis des oléfines légères, car elle réduit le temps de séjour des produits et leurs réactions secondaires Tout d'abord, un traitement alcalin utilisant du NaOH a été exploré pour la formation d'une structure secondaire dans une SAPO-34 commerciale, qui présentait une structure microporeuse conventionnelle. L'effet du traitement sur les propriétés physico-chimiques a été étudié et des échantillons ont été testés dans l'accumulation de coke en utilisant le DME comme source de carbone. Ensuite, les effets de la température (300 et 500°C) pour la réaction MTO ont été étudiés en utilisant une SAPO-34 extrudée comme catalyseur. Un processus d'extrusion a été adapté pour permettre le test de différents catalyseurs dans un réacteur à lit-fixe. Les réactions ont été effectuées dans des conditions similaires soit une teneur en eau (80% en poids), une vitesse spatiale en poids d'heure (WHSV, 1.21-1.40 h-1) et une masse de catalyseur extrudée (30 g par expérience). Ensuite, une SAPO-34 a été synthétisée en utilisant une méthode basée sur les organosilanes et teste pour la réaction MTO. Cette dernière méthode a conduit à des résultats positifs pour la fabrication d'une SAPO-34 hiérarchique, contrairement à la méthode de traitement alcalin, et son test à la température optimale (450°C) a conduit à une sélectivité remarquable pour les oléfines légères de 79.1% (sur une base de carbone), tout en minimisant la formation de coke (7.7%) et de propane (1.6%). La sélectivité plus élevée a été attribuée à la suppression des réactions secondaires, en particulier celles impliquant le propylène. En fin, autres paramètres tels que l'incorporation de métaux et le gaz de dilution sont suggérés pour stimuler davantage la sélectivité en oléfines légères