OLPA: Online Language Proficiency Assessment …
OLPA: Online Language Proficiency Assessment …

In the current era of globalization, the rapid rate of innovations in IT has hastened the rise and spread of the English language as an international language for global communication. The re-emphasis on mastering the English language is a significant policy change to develop or in some cases to ‘reactivate’ the English language skills of these educators to enable those to teach effectively using English as the medium of instructions. The development of the online English language proficiency test for academicians, an instrument used as a placement for the language training modules, will be highlighted.

Online test construction and development

The development of English language training modules for in-service lecturers and the construction of the online English placement are significant examples epitomizing lifelong learning practices valued by the school. UKM has embraced ICT as one of its top management agenda. The concept of K-campus is to establish a knowledge-centric e-campus whereby a web-based system is used to facilitate education knowledge and resource services for the campus community. The latest purchase of web-based system LearningCare is a web-based fully integrated e-learning solution, which provides UKM community a tool to develop, implement and share effectively the use of web-based technology for intra- and inter-organization learning process. There are several aspects of online test development which consists of online test constructions, online test specifications, content, format and timing, criterial levels of performance, result reporting and results of the trial sessions of the online test.

In conclusion, the experience in developing and conducting the online test for the UKM academicians so that profiling of their language proficiency can be conducted for the purpose of placement of English training modules. It is highly recommended that the UKM community be given exposure and training in taking the online test and what we have developed could be offered as an excellent trial version for all prior to the actual test administration.