Diagnostic Assessment Center

The Diagnostic Assessment Center (DAC) conducts cutting edge research and training in the area of Diagnostic Assessment (DA) and its practical applications for residential and distance instruction. The art and science of DA combines an array of survey instruments to assess each student’s own unique language goals, cognitive style, personality type and sensory preferences. Using individual data as a baseline certified DA Specialists conduct intensive one-on-one interviews with students in order to identify problem areas across three modalities (listening, reading and speaking). Faculty and students then use this data to together develop individualized holistic instructional approaches that are adapted to the specific needs and aptitudes of the student.

The three-stage, interactive DA interview between a DA Specialist and a linguist is ultimately intended to enhance the latter’s learning experience by allowing the DA Specialist to develop a more complete understanding of the unique geography of an individual learner’s language learning processes and current proficiency levels as well as the learning potential. Collected and analyzed data help identify specific areas of improvement that should be emphasized in order to help learners achieve higher proficiency goals also make pedagogical recommendations to guide faculty in tailoring curricula and instructional techniques intended to enhance the learning experience and heighten learner motivation. The conduct of a DA brings together teaching, testing and curriculum development, thus it represents the touchstone of DLIFLC’s commitment towards enhancing the holistic educational experience of our foreign language learners.

Collected and analyzed data help identify specific areas of improvement that should be emphasized in order to help learners achieve higher proficiency goals…

The DAC is responsible for training, certifying and mentoring DA Specialists assigned throughout DLIFLC and our goal is to have at least one certified DA Specialist for every teaching team.

All of our DA Specialists must complete an intensive DA Certification workshop where they are introduced to the key underlying concepts in the DA process. DA Trainees must learn to administer and interpret pre-interview materials and how to select reading and listening texts in accordance with text typology, the ILR scale and other language-specific criteria, as well as to craft level-appropriate elicitations. Trainees must demonstrate the ability to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses and to reflect them in Diagnostic Profiles. The capstone event of the workshop requires DA Trainees to convert Diagnostic Profiles into meaningful feedback to student linguists and faculty in various formats, such as a Learning Plan.

In addition to baseline training DA Specialists, the DAC also facilitates DA best practices across DLIFLC by conducting periodic language-specific roundtables and refresher seminars.

Click HERE for the DAC Brochure.

For more information contact the Diagnostic Assessment Center Director at (831) 242-7889 or send written inquiries to:

Diagnostic Assessment Center
Directorate of Continuing Education, DLIFLC
DoD Center Monterey Bay
400 Gigling Road
Seaside, CA 93955