Test Anxiety, Computer -Adaptive Testing, and the Common Core

Abstract

This paper highlights the current findings and issues regarding the role of computer-adaptive testing in test anxiety. The computer-adaptive test (CAT) proposed by one of the Common Core consortia brings these issues to the forefront. Research has long indicated that test anxiety impairs student performance. More recent research indicates that taking a test in a CAT format can affect the ability estimates of students with test anxiety. Inaccurate measures of ability are disconcerting because of the threat they pose to the validity of test score interpretation. This paper raises concerns regarding how the implementation of a computer-adaptive test for a large-scale common core assessment system could differentially affect students with test anxiety. Issues of fairness and score comparability are raised, and the implications of these issues are discussed.

Toward a Multifaceted Heuristic of Digital Reading to Inform Assessment, Research, Practice, and Policy

“…A third collection of design considerations may help characterize other contextual features related to the reading activity (as depicted along the right of the outside ring in Figure 1). For example, studies involving digital reading have explored quantitative or qualitative differences related to whether the reading task was timed or untimed (Colwell, 2013); whether readers worked individually, with a partner, or in small or large groups (Hampel, 2006); whether readers read to accomplish personal or task goals (List & Alexander, 2019); and/or whether readers engaged with texts, other people, or dynamic avatars in face-to-face situations , collaborative online documents (Abrams, 2019), or virtual worlds (see Coiro et al, 2019). In each of these studies, contextual design features had an impact on interaction, Thus, this set of contextual considerations (pictured at the lower right of Figure 1) is positioned in near proximity to the reader element as a reminder that readers may take on different identities and bring diverse competencies and motivations to different communities of practice.…”

Students’ Opinions about Ubiquitous Delivery of Standardized English Exams

“…Traditionally, there are two main reasons why students and teachers may be reticent about the introduction of new technology: its novelty and the intrinsic difficulty of managing new software (Stockdill & Morehouse, 1992;Hoerup, 2001). It can be extremely stressful for students to take a high-stakes exam (one which can have a major impact on their future) if they have to use a new platform when they are more used to using a pen and paper (Colwell, 2013), or they simply believe that a traditional testing format is more efficient and fair (Marks & Cronje, 2008). The different modes of computer-based testing (desktop PCs, tablet PCs and mobile phones) also involve uncertainty (Bartram, 2006).…”

Prüfungsängstlichkeit im Kulturvergleich

“…Dementsprechend wird jede Testperson etwa mit 50 % für sie lösbaren und 50 % für sie nicht lösbaren Items konfrontiert. Es hat sich gezeigt, dass Personengruppen mit hoher Prüfungsängstlichkeit hierbei, im Vergleich zum herkömmlichen Testen, weiter benachteiligt werden (Colwell 2013;Lu et al 2016;Ortner und Caspers 2011). Ein möglicher Grund hierfür ist, dass die Eigenschaften des CAT mit einer Abnahme der subjektiven Erfolgserwartung einhergehen, wodurch Prüfungsängstliche besonders beeinflusst werden (Ortner und Caspers 2011).…”