Two-stage quizzes and exams were implemented for both in-class quizzes and term tests in three sections of first-year General (Introductory) Chemistry. In the first stage, students completed the exam individually and submitted their papers. In the second stage, students collaborated with peers to complete a subset of the exam questions. The aim of…

Assessment is an integral part of any teaching learning process. Assessment has large number of functions to perform, whether it is formative or summative. This paper analyse the issues involved and the areas of concern in the classroom assessment practice and discusses the recent reforms take place. [This paper was published in Edutracks v20 n8…

Investigating scientific reasoning comprehensively with large sample sizes is a challenge, especially in young children where there is little evidence showing that paper-and-pencil instruments can be used to reliably measure competencies. The present study with 122 third graders compares three test modalities: an established interview (Science-K…

Multistage collaborative exams are implemented to enhance learning and retention of course material. However, the effects of multistage collaborative exams on retention of course content are varied. These discrepancies may be due to a number of factors. To date, studies examining collaborative exams and content retention have used questions that…

Active learning techniques, such as peer instruction and group work, have been gaining a lot of traction in universities. Taking a natural next step in re-evaluating current practices, many institutions recently started experimenting student-centred group exams. In order to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of collaborative assessments, we…

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage testing (MST) have become two of the most popular modes in large-scale computer-based sequential testing. Though most designs of CAT and MST exhibit strength and weakness in recent large-scale implementations, there is no simple answer to the question of which design is better because different…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential impact of misrouting under a 2-stage multistage test (MST) design, which includes 1 routing and 3 second-stage modules. Simulations were used to create a situation in which a large group of examinees took each of the 3 possible MST paths (high, middle, and low). We compared differences in…

This study sought to determine how students would describe their group-only cooperative testing experiences in terms of key elements of cooperative learning often cited in the literature. Written comments of 159 graduate students were analyzed and 26 related categories of comments were derived from 495 statements of students enrolled in two…

In the attempt to identify or prevent unfair tests, both quantitative analyses and logical evaluation are often used. For the most part, fairness evaluation is a pragmatic attempt at determining whether procedural or substantive due process has been accorded to either a group of test takers or an individual. In both the individual and comparative…

In this study we examined variations of the nonequivalent groups equating design for tests containing both multiple-choice (MC) and constructed-response (CR) items to determine which design was most effective in producing equivalent scores across the two tests to be equated. Using data from a large-scale exam, this study investigated the use of…

In 2002 the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) implemented a revised version of the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). CPE, which is the highest level of the Main Suite of Cambridge ESOL exams, comprises five modules, "Reading," "Writing," "Use of English," "Listening" and "Speaking," the latter of which is the…

Speaking tasks involving peer-to-peer candidate interaction are increasingly being incorporated into language proficiency assessments, in both large-scale international testing contexts, and in smaller-scale, for example course-related, ones. This growth in the popularity and use of paired and group orals has stimulated research, particularly into…

Research on implicit beliefs or theories about intelligence has shown that those with entity theories tend to be oriented toward performance goals--that is, toward documenting their intelligence, while those with incremental theories tend to be oriented toward learning goals--that is, toward developing their intelligence. This paper discusses…

A unidimensional latent trait model was used to test a single-factor hypothesis of the Lawson Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning. The test failed to provide a valid measure of formal reasoning. This was a result of test format which neglected aspects of formal reasoning emphasized by Inhelder and Piaget. (Author/DWH)

Selective Testing provides students with equivalent test options that control the sequence and quantification of individual items. Essay and objective test construction is modified to allow the student to combine units and create an individualized test. An example of a test on the American Revolution is presented. (FG)