This article reviews the history and present status of interactional computerized assessment systems. It concludes that automated assessment is at a rudimentary stage of development especially in school psychology. Further research and development on tests specifically designed for computerization, rather than adapting existing tests to…

This report presents factors to consider in the design of computer-based testing for all students, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. It also provides a process for the initial transformation of paper/pencil assessments to inclusive computer-based testing. Steps include: (1) assemble a group of…

Discusses computerized adaptive testing, which is designed to provide students with an individualized examination adjusted to their skill levels. Indicates that scores are derived by comparing correct answers with the answers' difficulty rating. Highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the system and provides guidelines for successful…

Proposed and evaluated a modified version of the maximum Fisher information (MFI) criterion called the nearest-neighbors (NN) criterion. Simulation study results show that NN procedure improved to a moderate extent the undesirable item exposure rates associated with the MFI criterion and keeps sufficient precision in theta estimates. (SLD)

The way in which examinations influence teaching and learning is called washback. This study examined the attitudes of 100 teachers towards the computerization of the English section of the Spanish University Entrance Examination paying special attention to the nature and scope of these changes, and the constraints and benefits. A 10 item…

This work presents innovative cybernetics (feedback) techniques based on Bayesian statistics for drawing questions from an Item Bank towards personalized multi-student improvement. A novel software tool, namely "Module for Adaptive Assessment of Students" (or, "MAAS" for short), implements the proposed (feedback) techniques. In conclusion, a pilot…

The authors reported findings from 3 studies examining the efficacy of Five Standards pedagogy in raising student achievement. Studies 1 and 2 were randomized designs; Study 3 was a quasi-experimental design. Samples included 53 teachers and 622 predominantly low-income Latino students in Grades 1-4. Studies assessed model fidelity with the…

This article details an investigation into onscreen marking (OSM) in Hong Kong--where paper-based marking (PBM) is being phased out, to be completely superseded by OSM. It is a specific follow-up to a larger study (Coniam, 2009a) involving 30 raters who had previously rated English language essay scripts on screen in the 2007 Hong Kong Certificate…

Students of a required biology course for non-science majors were given an opportunity to take online multiple choice quizzes during the weekend interval between classes. Incentives were that they would be given extra credit for their participation. Questions from the quizzes were then placed on the next exam. After the exam was given, the number…

In education, artificial intelligence (AI) has not made much headway. In the one area where it would seem poised to lend the most benefit--assessment--the reliance on standardized tests, intensified by the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which holds schools accountable for whether students pass statewide exams, precludes its use.…

Some of the benefits available from using computers to administer the kinds of tests that are familiar in educational settings are reviewed. Four applications that represent current or near-term enhancements of assessment are discussed: computerized adaptive testing, diagnostic testing, test preparation, and administration of simulations of…

In this paper, we present a framework for the development of collaborative design games that can be employed in participatory design sessions with students for the design of educational applications. The framework is inspired by idea generation theory and the design games literature, and guides the development of board games which, through the use…

TAILOR, a FORTRAN computer program for tailored testing, is described. The procedure for a joint ordering of persons and items with no pretesting as the basis for the tailored test is given, and a brief discussion of the computer program is included. (Author/JKS)

An interactive computer program for tailored testing, called TAILOR, is presented. The program runs on the APL system. A cumulative file for each examinee is established and tests are then tailored to each examinee; extensive pretesting is not necessary. (JKS)

The authors propose using cluster analysis to develop a branching logic that would allow the adaptive administration of psychological instruments. The proposed methodology is described in detail and used to develop an adaptive version of the Halstead Category Test from archival data. (SLD)