ITECPD Holds Workshop On Test Item Construction For Affiliate Colleges Of Education

The Institute for Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development (ITECPD), University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has organised a 3-day workshop to build the capacity of tutors of the affiliated colleges of education in test item construction at the Windy Lodge Hotel, Winneba.

The workshop which is a continuation of the course manual training was specifically intended to help tutors understand the use of table of specification for item construction, how to use the course manual to set appropriate test item, and for college subject leads to adequately support colleague tutors to use the course manual to develop items for assessment.

The 3-day workshop drew 96 subject leads from the 15 affiliated colleges of education and 6 subject leads from UEW for the courses being done this semester at the colleges of education for the 4-year Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) programme.

The workshop was facilitated by two of the finest educational measurement experts in the country, Dr. Yayrah Dzakadzie and Dr. Eric Anane.

Speaking at the opening of the 3-day workshop, the Director of ITECPD, UEW, Prof. Dominic Mensah underscored the importance of the exercise stressing that there is a strong link among contents of the curriculum, teaching, and assessment.

“Assessment being a critical component of the curriculum must generate test items that align with the curriculum and what has been taught. The right assessment items and tools must be developed and used to earn the results that meet the required standards especially when 60% of the assessment is under the ambit of the colleges of education in the affiliation arrangements.”

He further noted that the level of test items developed and used at the colleges of education must be in accordance with the National Teaching Standards (NTS) and the assessment policy for colleges of education.

He explained that the issues alluded to above precipitated the organization of the workshop and urged participants to pay keen attention and support the programme so that the collective goal of all stakeholders could be achieved.

Some participants who interacted with the media at the programme expressed delight for the opportunity the workshop had offered them on test item construction.

They promised to share the new ideas acquired at the workshop with their colleague subject tutors back at their respective colleges of education to improve academic work.

“I say that it’s been an eye-opener. I’ve learnt a whole lot of things at this workshop. I can only be grateful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to be back at my college to share and support colleges with these fine ideas to grow the subject we teach and by extension our college.”