Testing Lecture Comprehension Through Listening-to-summarize Cloze Tasks

The task domainin the verified framework encompasses major variables such
as task input; task targets; task setting and task demands. In the current project, we
mainly focus on task targets and task demands in the task domain.Task targets
refer to the types of lecture content test items target. For the test type as a gap-filling
task on a structured summary, task targets can be categorized into four types:
details, key points, inferences and summaries. The key issue of designing appro-
priate task targets lies in deciding which specific part of the content should be tested
and which cognitive process should be calibrated toward.
Task demandsgenerally refer to aspects of knowledge resources and skills
needed for academic listening. The aspects of knowledge resources include

TASK DOMAIN

Task input

Task targets

Key points

Details

Inferences

Summaries

Task setting

Task demands

Knowledge resources

Skills needed

Decoding,

Discourse construction

(macro and micro)

Note-taking

COMPETENCE DOMAIN

Cognitive processes

Decoding and selective attention

Reading notes/task

Memorizing words

Parsing the structure

...

Meaning and discourse construction

Interpreting

Inferring from notes/ task

Summarizing

Building coherence

Identifying key words

...

Monitoring process

Assessing comprehension

Checking semantic coherence

Checking grammatical acceptability

Checking quantity

...

TEST-TAKER

RESPONSE

TEST-TAKER CHARACTERISTICS

Physical/physiological

Psychological/cognitive

Experiential/schema (world, topic)

Fig. 9.1 The verified framework for LCC (adapted from Weir 2005).....

156 9 Conclusion and Recommendations