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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | The National Benchmark Test in Academic Literacy: how might it be used to support teaching in higher education? |
Author: | Cliff, Alan |
Year: | 2015 |
Periodical: | Language Matters: Studies in the Languages of Africa (ISSN 1753-5395) |
Volume: | 46 |
Issue: | 1 |
Pages: | 3-21 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | South Africa |
Subjects: | students higher education English language examinations academic achievement |
External link: | https://doi.org/10.1080/10228195.2015.1027505 |
Abstract: | The National Benchmark Test in Academic Literacy is designed to assess the ability of first-year students to cope with the typical language-of-instruction, academic reading and reasoning demands they will face on entry to higher education. Drawing on quantitative data, this paper reports on the overall performance levels of a large-scale (n = 6500) national sample of test-takers who took the test as applicants for the 2013 intake into higher education. Overall test-taker performance is disaggregated by performance on sub-scales of the overall construct of academic literacy. The argument is made that the National Benchmark Test provides a framework for a nuanced and practicable understanding of test-takers' academic literacy 'proficiencies'. The conclusion to the paper evaluates the extent to which the test enables higher education lecturers' greater engagement with students' academic literacy shortcomings and with research-led information aimed at the improvement of teaching and learning. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |