Story-linked item design in tablet-based assessment for preschool children: Insights from testing

Abstract

This article provides a rationale for exploring the use of tablet-based assessment of children between the ages of 3 years and 5 years. The purpose of the study was to gain insights from young children’s digital test-taking performances and experiences to inform the digitalisation of developmental tests. A mixed method design was followed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Animated tablet-based items following a storyline were field-tested on a sample of 60 South African children. Results support the viability of a story-linked, tablet-based gamification approach for assessing children 5 years and under, and emphasise the need for documented strategies and item examples to guide innovative developmental assessment. Digital items showed a degree of responsiveness to various factors, suggesting a potential influence on test taking performance which contributes to the necessity of re-imagining item and test development in the digital age.Contribution: This study departed from the conventional path of following the predictable and conservative approach of test development taken so far of merely adapting existing measures to a digital format. By empirically assessing the efficacy of newly developed items designed specifically for a digital format, this article addressed the intersection of technology and psychological assessment of the preschool child in a South African context.