Tina Beynen

Alum (PhD ALDS/2023) | “The development of students’ assessment literacies as they transition to university: An exploratory case study.”

I came to Ottawa and Carleton from London, Ontario, for both my MA and PhD after a number of years working as a staff administrator in higher education, first in university undergraduate recruitment/admissions, then graduate admissions and research support/promotion in a program office (Education). As a lifelong learner, working in a Faculty of Education was inspirational, and it was during this time that I decided to continue my education.

I chose Carleton for their unique program, Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies. As part of the MA program I followed the TESL stream and am now TESL Ontario certified, specializing in teaching English for Academic Purpose (EAP). I was also interested in language testing and assessment. My MA research involved designing and analyzing the results of a metaphor comprehension test task based on reading material from first-year engineering texts that was embedded into one iteration of an existing diagnostic test written by first-year engineering students. You can read more about my study in the TESL Canada Journal.

For my doctoral research I’ve veered away from metaphor comprehension but am still researching within the context of the first year of university. This period of transition from high school can be a difficult one for many students, so the hope is that my research will help to ease this transition. More specifically, I am looking at students’ experiences with assessment in high school and university, whether differences impact first-year achievement, and how we can develop students’ assessment literacy in order to improve their chances of success.

What drew me to Carleton was the chance to work with a highly-regarded language testing researcher and what looked to be interesting courses; neither disappointed. This combined with the camaraderie I developed with fellow students, and the unwavering support of faculty members and the office staff made my experience in the MA program far exceed my expectations. My supervisor and course professors pushed me to grow and excel. The faculty and staff always found the time when I had questions about my courses, research, scholarship applications, or conference proposals. As I navigate the job market with my newly-developed skill set, apply to conferences to present the findings of my thesis research, and prepare to publish those findings, I still feel the support and encouragement of my ALDS family!