Developing a Comprehensive Reading Test for Undergraduate Students: An LMS-Based Reading Test

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in the development of reading assessment methods by educators and researchers. However, very few of these assessments have been integrated into a Learning Management System (LMS) platform, with current LMS usage primarily focused on course content delivery. This research aims to address this gap by developing a comprehensive LMS-based reading test to measure students' reading competence. Additionally, the study seeks to explore students' perspectives on the use of the developed instrument. The development of the instrument followed a Research & Development (R&D) approach using the 4D model, which consists of defining, designing, developing, and disseminating stages. The participants of this study were undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students from Universitas Madako Tolitoli. In total, 50 reading test items were successfully developed. Both validity and reliability tests were conducted: the validity test was performed by experts in the field and followed by a pilot test with a small sample of students. The results indicated that the test items were reliable, with a Cronbach's Alpha score of 0.75. However, 6 of the items (12%) were deemed to need improvement or were considered invalid, while the remaining 44 items (88%) were judged to be valid. Students' perceptions of the LMS-based reading test were generally positive across three aspects: usability and accessibility, engagement and motivation, and the impact of the LMS on language learning outcomes. In light of the limitations of the current study, suggestions for improvement were also provided. These will serve to guide future research in this area, with the aim of refining the LMS-based reading test and further enhancing its potential benefits for student learning.