Advanced Statistics, Part I, in-person only

Who is the course aimed at?

This course is designed for professionals working in language testing, assessment, and applied linguistics who are looking for an accessible introduction to the role of statistics in language assessment, and for those who have completed the Introduction to statistics online course led by Jane Lloyd and want to gain more knowledge.

The course is particularly suited for participants who have little or no prior background in psychometrics since it adopts a gradual and conceptually oriented approach, in which key ideas are introduced in a clear and systematic manner. Rather than assuming prior technical knowledge, it emphasizes interpretation and practical understanding, enabling participants to engage meaningfully with fundamental concepts.

Through guided examples and applied tasks, participants will develop the ability to interpret statistical information commonly encountered in language testing contexts. The course thus aims to bridge the gap between theoretical principles and their practical application, fostering a more informed and critical use of assessment tools.

How will you benefit from coming to the course?

You will learn about the basic principles of statistical analysis applied to language testing. You will:

• Learn the basic assumptions of Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory
• Understand how to interpret the most frequently used statistics 
• Understand how these analyses can match ALTE Q-Mark
• Be introduced to basic statistical software packages

How does the course enhance your work?

On the one hand, this course will help you understand the basic psychometric properties of your test. This will give you insight into how items, raters and candidates work. By gaining such insight into your tests you will be able to:

• Take part in discussions about the reliability of your tests
• Create a basic quality check of the reliability of your tests
• Improve the overall quality of your tests
• Better support the validity argument of your tests

How does the course enhance your professional development?

The training provides the opportunity of developing your analytical and technical skills. This course will help you:

• Develop a solid conceptual understanding of key psychometric principles
• Interpret and critically evaluate test data for informed decisions in test development and research
• Strengthen your research profile by gaining foundational competencies in quantitative methods relevant to applied linguistics
• Increase your confidence in engaging with data-driven practices and collaborating in assessment and evaluation projects

How will you and your institution benefit from this course? 

Every participant of the course will be able to:

• Implement more data-driven, fair, and transparent assessment methods.
• Support evidence-based decision-making around testing and scoring.
• Align assessment practices with international standards and best practices such as Q-Mark

This directly enhances your institution’s assessment quality and its capacity to support validity arguments.

Is any prior knowledge necessary to attend the course? 

No prior knowledge of statistics or mathematics is required. However, ALTE strongly suggests you complete the Introduction to Statistics online course led by Jane Lloyd. 

What you need to know before you join the course

You must have:

• A minimum C1 level in English to follow the course
• Knowledge of test design and validation procedures

What will you learn:

Duration: 4 sessions of 2/3 hours each (2 days training)

Delivery: In-person only, as a pre-conference course.

Contents:

• Session 1 — Introduction and Classical Test Theory
• Session 2 — Item Response Theory
• Session 3 — Methods I
• Session 4 — Methods II

Please note this course is only delivered as an in-person course, prior to ALTE conferences. If you wish this course to be delivered at your organisation only, please contact:

Payment and Cancellation policy

For group bookings, ALTE advises to book maximum three places per institution. 
  
Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 

If you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. In such a case we issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.
In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.  

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I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the course.

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