--- Forwarded Message from Jan Enright <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 08:57:43 -0600
>From: Jan Enright <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #5600.1 placement exam survey results (!)
>To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'" <[log in to unmask]>
------------------
We have been using the S-CAPE, F-CAPE, G-CAPE and R-CAPE here at Colorado
College with none of the problems you described. We used the DOS versions of
French, Spanish and German for years and moved to the Windows versions with
the addition of Russian a few years ago. When I had a problem with network
installation I received a call almost immediately from one of the
specialists at BYU in response. Our only disappointment is that it is not
available in several other languages as it does make placement of incoming
students more efficient. There are, of course, exceptions where a person
fluent in a language has a low score, but in most of those cases they are
illiterate in that language (even though they speak and understand
perfectly) or they have a slight learning disability and have problems
reading in any language. If someone were to read the questions and answers
to them, they score much higher. We are always looking for better and easier
solutions to question of language placement and proficiency, but so far, the
CAPE exams are working for us.
Jan Enright
Keck Humanities Lab Coordinator
Colorado College
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: LLTI-Editor [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wed, April 12, 2000 6:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: #5600.1 placement exam survey results (!)
--- Forwarded Message from Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 08:36:11 -0600
>From: Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]>
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5600 placement exam survey results
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Originator-Info: login-token=Mulberry:01rp2NjxIC//Q03f/77k/GDfMuuAEuEg==
We have been (attempting) to use the BYU S-CAPE placement exam (Mac
version) for Spanish for more than a year. I have been very
disappointed. It does not operate as promised. At least two of the
standard options do not run properly. We have had freezes and
crashes. More seriously, the exam gives inconsistent results when
testing the same student, and many of the questions are ambiguous.
Students taking the test after one or two semesters are given a score
of zero with disturbing frequency. Our students find the interface
difficult to use.
Most bothersome to me, support has been terrible. The development
team at BYU has promised us answers, fixes and updates, which have
not come through in more than a year of trying to work with them.
Often, they won't even answer email and phone calls, and they have
never returned our messages by the promised date.
I hesitate to write criticisms of this sort about our colleagues, who
are trying to aid our work. I have met the people involved with the
exam, and I have positive feelings about them, but the product and
service that we have received is unacceptable. Hopefully the web
version is better, but the system that we have, which has been on the
market for something like eight years, has more flaws than most beta
version software. If you are considering this software, evaluate it
carefully and thoroughly, to make sure it meets your criteria. We
were told to support it, after a cursory evaluation by a few
professors who have little contact with the lab. Now, no one is
happy with it.
Derek
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