  Stellar models rely on a number of free parameters. High-quality observations
of eclipsing binary stars observed by Kepler offer a great opportunity to
calibrate model parameters for evolved stars. Our study focuses on six Kepler
red giants with the goal of calibrating the mixing-length parameter of
convection as well as the asteroseismic surface term in models. We introduce a
new method to improve the identification of oscillation modes which exploits
theoretical frequencies to guide the mode identification ('peak-bagging') stage
of the data analysis. Our results indicate that the convective mixing-length
parameter (alpha) is about 14% larger for red giants than for the Sun, in
agreement with recent results from modelling the APOGEE stars. We found that
the asteroseismic surface term (i.e. the frequency offset between the observed
and predicted modes) correlates with stellar parameters (Teff, log g) and the
mixing-length parameter. This frequency offset generally decreases as giants
evolve. The two coefficients a_-1 and a_3 for the inverse and cubic terms that
have been used to describe the surface term correction are found to correlate
linearly. The effect of the surface term is also seen in the p-g mixed modes,
however, established methods for correcting the effect are not able to properly
correct the g-dominated modes in late evolved stars.
