The following abbreviations and terms have been defined for the purpose of this document to ensure that there is consistency in conceptualizing them as we sail smoothly through this curriculum document. CELP Credit English Language Program CDU Curriculum Development Program CC Course Coordinator PC Program Coordinator LC Language Centre SQU Sultan Qaboos University Accountability: A means of judging a programme by measuring their outcomes/results against agreed upon standards.   Assessment: Any systematic method of obtaining information from tests and other sources and is used to draw inferences about characteristics of people, programmes, performance, etc.   Assignment: The act of assigning a particular task / duty for a specified time (as in a course)   Bias: A situation that occurs in testing when items systematically measure differently for different groups.   Competency: a group of characteristics native or acquired which indicate an individual's ability to acquire skills in a given area.   Cooperative/Collaborative Learning: A teaching method in which students of differing abilities work together on an assignment / task and each student has an equal responsibility within the group to complete the task.   Criteria: Guidelines / rules / characteristics / dimensions used to judge the quality of student performance. They may be holistic / analytical / general / specific.   Formative Assessment: This takes place during / throughout the course / semester and is ongoing. It provides feedback to students so they can have opportunities to improve their learning or performance in the course. Formative assessments inform the teacher and the students about any adjustments to be made in the teaching / learning strategies. Examples of formative assessments include anything from written responses (daily journal, class exercises, etc) to daily teacher's questioning for comprehension in a class session.   Portfolio: An alternative way of assessing students in which the teacher and the student collect and organize the students' work throughout a course. Grades are based on this packet of materials which measures student's knowledge and skills and often includes some form of self-reflection by the student.   Reliability: The degree to which the results of an assessment are dependable and consistently measure particular knowledge / skills. In other words, it is an indication of consistencies of scores across different tasks / items that measure the same thing.   Summative Assessment: This is usually done through standardized tests, exams, assignments, etc. and summarize the students' progress of learning at the end of a course to give them a final grade. Summative assessment contributes to the marks / grade for a module, course, level, degree, etc. It assesses the achievement of students in the course. It checks on what students should be able to demonstrate at designated times within the course and has some formality associated even if the form of assessment is flexible. Summative assessments may range from traditional tests / exams to responses in portfolios, assignments, debates, role playing, etc. In other words, summative assessments measure how well the students have learned the key content and skills as defined by the course objectives.   Test: A series of questions, problems, physical responses designed to determine knowledge / intelligence / ability. The word 'tests' is used in the Summative Assessment Scheme to denote a series of short tests / quizzes.   Thinking skills: These are the building blocks of thinking. Some examples are observing, recalling. ordering, comparing, evaluating, etc.   Validity: The extent to which an assessment measures what it is supposed to measure and inferences made on basis of the assessment are appropriate / accurate.