Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1ST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF INNOVATION THROUGH ACADEMIC WRITING, Kırıkkale, Türkiye, 9 - 10 Aralık 2022, ss.63-67
This paper aims to present (a) the process of iterative and participatory design of the modified integrated
writing task recently included in the English Proficiency Exam (EPE) designed and administered at METU,
and (b) the findings from the pilot test results as well as the questionnaires to elicit test-taker and instructor
perceptions towards the task. The previous integrated writing task type which was used in the pre-pandemic
period in the EPE up to the year 2020 had to be modified into a more compact version in the times followed
by the effects of the pandemic in the new normal lifestyle of the year 2022. Thus, the aim of modifying the
task was to obtain a more student-friendly yet meaningful academic writing task in the EPE. The decisionmaking process for this transformation was iterative in nature and inclusive of the parties involved, i.e.,
students, teachers, item writers, research and development unit members, and members of the academic as
well as the administrative bodies. The new integrated writing task that emerged as a result of the process was
piloted with both students and instructors in the institution. As a result of the decision-making cycles, the
responses of the instructors seem positive as they take ownership of the outcome. The analyses of the
questionnaire regarding the task showed that the lecture was easy to follow, the task was easy to understand,
and the instructions were clear, but the timing allocated to write was not sufficient for all, which was adjusted
accordingly. The research into the new form is still ongoing.