Background: This study describes the development of the Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI)--a computer-assisted telephone interview which adapts the revised Ontario Child Health Study's (OCHS-R) parent, teacher, and youth self-report scales for administration as intake screening and treatment outcome measures in children's mental…

Elements of network-based assessment systems are envisioned based on recent advances in knowledge and practice in learning theory, assessment design and delivery, and semantic web interoperability. The architecture takes advantage of the meditating role of technology as well as recent models of assessment systems. This overview of the elements…

This article describes the development of a Web-based instrument that is part of a strategic planning initiative in technology in K-12 schools in Nebraska. The instrument provides rubrics for self-assessment of essential conditions necessary for integrating and adopting of technology. Essential conditions were defined by an extended panel of…

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) decided to explore alternative examining procedures for positions covered by the Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) examination. One requirement for new procedures was that they be automated for use with OPM's recently developed Microcomputer Assisted Rating System (MARS), a highly efficient system…

Technology has provided the public with the ability to steal the contents of multiple examinations in a short time period and at minimal cost. No examination is safe from compromise, and the only variable is the extent and sophistication used to bring about the compromise or theft. With the easy availability of micro-video equipment, audio…

The use of paper and pencil, videotape recordings, and microcomputers in student testing provide three very different views of student achievement. Paper and pencil tests can record how students compose tests and documents, and how they critique documents or performances. Video recordings can record how students explain ideas, answer questions,…

The derivation of several item selection algorithms for use in fitting test items to target information functions is described. These algorithms circumvent iterative solutions by using the criteria of moving averages of the distance to a target information function and simultaneously considering an entire range of ability points used to condition…

This simulation study involved the design of two two-stage tests in which the routing tests and the second-stage measurement testlets took the form of a multidimensional knapsack problem with prespecified target informations and constraints to be enumerated using the algorithm of E. Balas. Two conventional tests of similar length to the two-stage…

Although there are many advantages to using computer-based tests (CBTs) linked to computer-based instruction (CBI), there are also several difficulties. In certain instructional settings, it is difficult to conduct psychometric analyses of test results. Several measurement issues surface when CBT programs are linked to CBI. Testing guidelines…

The Multi-Digit (MDT) testing procedure is a computer-scored testing innovation conceptualized in 1982. It is fully compatible with multiple choice and true/false tests well suited for the testing of discreet terms and concepts such as in fill-in-the-blank examinations. The student reads the question and selects the appropriate response from an…

The Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) project is a joint Armed Services coordinated effort to develop and evaluate a system for automated, adaptive administration of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The CAT is a system for administering personnel tests that differs from conventional test administration in two major…

Potential benefits of using item response theory in test construction are evaluated, based on the experience and evidence accumulated during 9 years of using a three-parameter model in the construction of major achievement batteries. Specific benefits covered include obtaining sample-free item calibrations and item-free person measurement,…

The Assessment Resource Center (ARC) at Florida State University provides computer assisted testing (CAT) for approximately 4,000 students each term. Computer capabilities permit a small proctoring staff to administer tests simultaneously to large numbers of students. Programs provide immediate feedback for students and generate a variety of…

In an adaptive test, the test administrator chooses test items sequentially during the test, in such a way as to adapt test difficulty to examinee ability as shown during testing. An effectively designed adaptive test can resolve the dilemma inherent in conventional test design. By tailoring tests to individuals, the adaptive test can…

Outlines stages in the development of computer aided instruction in the University of Waikato French department, including the creation of the authoring language Proforma. Adaptations of Proforma to allow parallel versions of test materials are discussed, screen layout is described, and some aspects of test administration and timing are outlined.…