Performing The Alternative

Revisiting the Assessment of Second Language Abilities: From Theory to Practice

This book presents an overview of revisiting the assessment of language abilities. It also showcases how the measurement of such constructs can result in negative or positive washback and how outcomes might be conducive to repercussions that decide on the future of many stakeholders. The 23 chapters were selected among tens of chapters received from different contexts that addressed the issue of revisiting the assessment of language abilities, such as Tunisia, Ukraine, Algeria, Russia, KSA, Sudan, Egypt, Canada, Kurdistan, UK, USA, Iran, Turkey, etc. These contexts have highlighted the necessity to revisit the different constructs which should be assessed with a clear and straightforward foundation on students’ learning objectives and their actual language ability. To do so, most of the chapters present hands-on use of relevant statistical tests that might serve in revisiting the construct definition both theoretically and operationally. Perhaps the sole and intricate question that the authors of these contributions ask is what it means to revisit the assessment of the construct of individualized language ability and how. In addition, the book accentuates the momentousness and significance of reflecting on test fairness and validation as the mainspring and backbone for democratization of assessment. This book appeals to a broad readership, such as English Language Teaching (ELT) practitioners, language teachers, students, testing organizations, policy-makers, test designers, writers of test specifications, testing experts, researchers, program evaluators, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as other international contexts.

Central and Southern Florida Project, Caloosahatchee River (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir Project

Economic Systems Analysis and Assessment

An Authoritative Introduction to a Major Subject in Systems Engineering and Management This important volume fills the need for a textbook on the fundamentals of economic systems analysis and assessment, illustrating their vital role in systems engineering and systems management. Providing extensive coverage on key topics, it assumes no prior background in mathematics or economics in order to comprehend the material. The book is comprised of five major parts: Microeconomics: a concise overview that covers production and the theory of the firm; theory of the consumer; market equilibria and market imperfections; and normative or welfare economics, including imperfect competition effects and consumer and producer surplus Program Management Economics: discusses economic valuation of programs and projects, including investment rates of return; cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis; earned value management; cost structures and estimation of program costs and schedules; strategic and tactical pricing issues; and capital investment and options Cost Estimation: reviews cost-estimation technologies involving precedented and unprecedented development, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, software reuse, application generators, and fourth-generation languages Strategic Investments in an Uncertain World: addresses alternative methods for valuation of firms including Stern Stewart's EVA, Holt's CFROI, and various competing methodologies Contemporary Perspectives: covers ongoing extensions to theory and practice that enable satisfactory treatment of the increasing returns to scale, network effects, and path-dependent issues generally associated with contemporary ultra-large-scale telecommunications and information networks Also discussed in this comprehensive text are normative or welfare economics and behavioral economics; COCOMO I and II and COSYSMO as examples of a cost model; and options-based valuation models and valuation of information technology intensive enterprises. Economic Systems Analysis and Assessment serves as an ideal textbook for senior undergraduate and first-year graduate courses in economic systems analysis and assessment, as well as a valuable reference for engineers and managers involved with information technology intensive systems, professional economists, cost analysts, investment evaluators, and systems engineers.