[NIFL-ASSESSMENT:816] Re: guidance in developing job-related

From: Patti White (prwhite@MadisonCounty.NET)
Date: Tue Dec 14 2004 - 14:32:52 EST


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From: "Patti White" <prwhite@MadisonCounty.NET>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:816] Re: guidance in developing job-related
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April,

I'm glad to hear you're working on developing more computerized tests. My 
interest is focused on accessibility for people with disabilities, and a 
computerized assessment is inherently far more accessible for many types of 
disabilities, especially when combined with other accessible 
features/software that might interface with the assessment, like JAWS or 
other text-to-speech software programs.  It would help, too, if the student 
were able to adjust the size/type of font, screen colors, and be able to 
highlight text for visual tracking.  The presentation of one question at a 
time is also helpful, as well as the use of a keyboard or speech-to-text 
software for short-answer or essay questions.  I'm sure there's many more 
possibilities....

Thanks for your good work!
Patti

Patti White
Disabilities Project Manager
Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center
prwhite@madisoncounty.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: April L. Zenisky
To: Multiple recipients of list
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 1:04 PM
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:815] Re: guidance in developing job-related



Hi, all,
To follow up with Marie's reposting, this was a question that was especially 
interesting to me as my
own research interests as a test developer involve alternate item types (not 
multiple-choice) that
are computer based.  Specifically, I am interested in uses of innovative or 
novel types that are
highly engaging to the test-taker but still auto-scored.  In many cases, 
there might be one correct
answer, but the questions might be written to allow for more than one right 
(or wrong) answer.

For example, the different item formats for use in computerized testing 
allow you to incoporate
different actions such as clicking, drag-and-drop, scrolling, and typing. 
The drag-and-drop option
is nice because people can rearrange onscreen items in different ways given 
the frame of the
question (for example, put things in some order (numerical, alphabetical, 
chronological, etc.)) and
it lets them visualize the groupings they are creating.

So, here in Massachusetts my colleagues at the Center for Educational 
Assessment and I are working
with the Massachusetts DoE and practitioners in the state to develop new, 
computerized assessments
that are directly based on the Massachusetts curriculum.  The MA assessments 
will be different from
the computerized BEST Plus in that the student willl enter answers directly 
into the computer, which
is different from the BEST Plus' approach (which works well for that domain 
being tested -- a test
administrator scores a student's spoken answers on a few dimensions and 
enters those into the
computer).

One thing I'm interested in learning more about myself about is people's 
experiences with adult
learners and computerized testing.  Some work I'm involved in now is finding 
out about adult
learners' familiarity with computerized response actions (clicking, 
drag-and-drop, scrolling, and
typing).  Does anyone out there have any experience with or thoughts about 
using computer technology
for testing with adults that they'd be interested in sharing with the list? 
More broadly, for
practitioners, what do you find that your students can do with respect to 
using a computer and what
skills do you see them needing assistance with?  What might you consider to 
be the important
navigational and other features of computerized activities/assessments?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
--april



***********************************************
April L. Zenisky, Ed.D.
Director of Computer-Based Testing Initiatives
Center for Educational Assessment
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003
413.577.2180
azenisky@educ.umass.edu









----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marie Cora" <marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 12:50 PM
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:814] guidance in developing job-related 
assessments for critical thinking


> Hi everyone,
>
> I am re-posting Julie's question from October 14 because it is relevant
> to the discussion this week, and I don't think she ever received much in
> reply.  Julie - have you made progress on this project to date?  Perhaps
> April, and others who wish to, can comment on some of your questions.
> marie
>
>
>
> I am working with large organization to develop assessments for managers
> in
> training.  They want the questions to focus on measuring whether or not
> a
> management trainee can think critically and problem solve. The questions
> will focus
> on IMPACT and INDICATIONS of daily company procedures.
>
> The types of questions need to assess if the trainee understands the
> impact
> of a particular procedure on the productivity, bottom-line, etc. for the
>
> business.  We also want to assess whether or not the trainees can
> identify the
> indicators that something is, or is not, going (or set up) according to
> procedures.
>
> For example, does the trainee understand the IMPACT if department
> materials
> are unorganized and/or dirty?  That the mailbag has gone unopened?  Can
> s/he
> identify the INDICATORS that something is not running according to
> procedure, is
> out of place or that an employee is not performing their job
> requirements?
>
> This assessment needs to written in standardized format (i.e., multiple
> choice, true false, some fill in the blank and a few short answers).
>
> I've created many assessments for basic skills, so have an understanding
> of
> assessment development. However, I can see that testing intangible
> problem
> solving skills, will require a different approach. (By the way, the
> precise
> training modules have not been developed.)
>
> I am working with the company to identify the proficiencies, but would
> very
> much appreciate samples of how to phrase the questions so that they will
>
> accurately measure the proficiencies in the above mentioned format.
>
> Does anyone have samples or guidelines I might use?
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Julie Baker
>
>
>
>
> 



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