Ockey argues that Computer based testing has failed to realize its anticipated potential. Describe and discuss on his reasons for his view, and tell why you either agree or disagree with him.
Cummins & Davesne offer an alternative to CBT with electronic portfolios. Comment on some of the ideas from this article that you'd be interested in trying out in your own classroom.
From the Ockey article, I have to sadly agree that computer based testing (CBT) has failed to realize it's potential, so far. Problems listed are numerous: psychometric assumptions, local independence, controversy over appropiate scoring algorithm, agreement on test administration, practical use of test bank, availablitly of human resources, and test security are among some listed. After reading the artice and reflecting on those issues, communication between institutions and security seem to be the biggest obstacles. The problem that each school has a unique system of rating CBT make it impossible to make grades and results salient. Test security is an even bigger issue for CBT. Trying to keep symetry across the world, verfying results and actual test takers on CBT also appears to be impossible.
This second article, thankfully, is more optomistic and offers lots of useful assessment for use with Electronic Portfolios (EP). For me personally, the information on American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) was espeically insightful. This organization and it's opinion are important in our line of work and when I read information about them, I pay extra attention. There work with other similar organizations in Europe and the rest of the world offer hope that there will be more universal assessment, especially on alternative forms of assessment like EPs. The Language Passport is an especially exciting idea, and allows blokes like me who live somewhere and don't learn the language fluently enough to pass high level standardized test at least some credit for our language knowledge.
Chris, I agree that computer based testing has its problems. I think security of the tests being the main one. It is questionable if they will be able to fix this aspect of test like the GRE. Its seems there will always be people who will try and out smart the test.
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