Foreign language testing in offline and online formats

Abstract

Introduction. Improving the quality of education is an important task of the modern Russian educational process, which predetermines the exclusive attention paid to control and measuring materials and the digitalization of assessment procedures. Currently, testing is the most accurate and technologically advanced procedure for determining the level of knowledge, which can be carried out in two formats: offline and online. Purpose setting. Due to the heterogeneity of the wording of the concept of «test», the many classifications of tests, according to various parameters and types of test tasks, it becomes necessary to analyze this term and systematize test control and measuring materials in a foreign language. It is required to diagnose the positive and negative aspects of testing in offline and online formats, and to determine the most relevant form of testing knowledge in the subject. All of the above determines the purpose of writing the article: the possibility of integrating online testing into the educational process. Methodology and methods of the study. For their work, the authors chose general scientific methods: analysis of scientific sources, system analysis to study the classification of tests and types of test tasks, as well as the method of synthesis and analysis, comparison, pedagogical experiment, to study the positive and negative aspects of testing in different formats. Results. As a result of the theoretical analysis, the term «test» is formulated, in accordance with the subject «foreign language», the main characteristics of tests are highlighted and their classifications are systematized. A pedagogical experiment is described, aimed at a comprehensive study of the concept of testing in different formats. The advantages and disadvantages of online and offline testing in a foreign language in a non-linguistic educational institution are analyzed. Conclusion. In conclusion, based on the data obtained as a result of the study, the prospect of integrating the online testing format into the traditional education system is outlined.