Computerized testing has created new challenges for the production and administration of test forms. Many testing organizations engaged in or considering computerized testing may find themselves changing from well-established procedures for handcrafiing a small number of paper-and-pencil test forms to procedures for mass producing many computerized test forms. This paper describes an integrated approach to test development and administration called computer-adaptive sequential testing, or CAST. CAST is a structured approach to test construction which incorporates both adaptive testing methods with automated test assembly to allow test developers to maintain a greater degree of control over the production, quality assurance, and administration of different types of computerized tests. CAST retains much of the efficiency of traditional computer adaptive testing (CAT) and can be modified for computer mastery testing (CMT) applications. The CAST framework is described in detail and several applications are demonstrated using a medical licensure example.
Taking a test on content that has just been studied is known to enhance later retention of the material studied, but is testing more profitable than the same amount of time spent in review? High school students studied a brief history text, then either took a test on the passage, spent equivalent time reviewing the passage, or went on to an unrelated task. A retention test given 2 weeks later indicated that the test condition resulted in better retention than either the review or the control conditions. The effect was further shown to be content specific (in contrast to effects typically produced by questions inserted in text) and independent of item format. These results favor a greater use of testing in instruction.We wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Haverford Township School District, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the conduct of this study, especially the teachers who assisted directly: Mr. Bush, Mrs. McGarvey, Miss Harrison, Mr. Long, and their principal, Mr. Drukin.Requests for reprints should he sent to Ronald J. Nungester, The American College, 270 Rryn Mawr Ave.,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.