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Cloze-Elide as a Classroom Reading Test

Article appearing in Shiken 21.2 (December 2017) pp. 1-19.

Author:Trevor A. Holster
Fukuoka University

Abstract:
The cloze-elide procedure, in which test-takers must identify redundant words that have been added to a reading text, provides a process-oriented test of reading ability. This research investigated the suitability of cloze-elide as a summative classroom test focusing on speeded processing of written text. The cloze-elide format was found to be simple and practical to construct, and Rasch analysis found reliability and data-model fit acceptable for classroom use. However, confirming reports from earlier researchers, test-takers often mistakenly identified correct sentences as containing redundant words, leading to Rasch data-model misfit and the need for a scoring formula to account for test-takers who are excessively cautious or careless in their response patterns.

Keywords: Cloze-elide, cloze test, reading assessment, Rasch analysis, process oriented assessment

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