Because computer-adaptive tests are new, debates about their use, reliability, benefits, and shortcomings have emerged. With many states planning to utilize new computer-adaptive online tests in the coming years, the tech will likely become the object of increasing scrutiny, discussion, and debate. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of
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Pros
The following are a few representative arguments that may be made by advocates of :
Cons
The following are a few arguments that may be made by critics of :
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Pros
The following are a few representative arguments that may be made by advocates of :
- The tests can help find a learner’s learning level more precisely than fixed-question exams, especially for learners at the lower and higher ends of the learning spectrum.
- Adaptive tests give educators more precise information about learners who are exceptionally adept or exceptionally far behind in their mastery of expected knowledge and skills.
- The tests may increase learner engagement in the testing process and possibly lead to more accurate results. The tests are better calibrated to a learner’s capabilities.
- Computerized scoring of essay-style and open-ended questions is becoming more accurate. It may become more reliable than human scoring, increasing efficiency and reducing large-scale standardized testing costs.
Cons
The following are a few arguments that may be made by critics of :
- The tech needed to score open-ended questions and essay sections on computer-adaptive tests are not yet ready for widespread utilization in schools. Systems may not have been sufficiently tested. Others can be prone to glitches, which could lead to inaccurate results that can disadvantage the learners taking the tests, resulting in the need for human scoring.
- Computerized tests could disadvantage learners with lower technological literacy and less access to digital tech, such as those from lower-income households and rural areas with less reliable internet access.
- Transitioning from paper-and-pencil exams to computer-adaptive tests entails, in many cases, significant logistical challenges and financial burdens, particularly for cash-strapped states, districts, and public schools. The sophisticated software required for the tests—whether it is custom developed or an off-the-shelf product—can be expensive and potentially cost-prohibitive.
- For schools with few computers or inadequate computing networks—or both—it may be prohibitively challenging to allocate the time and computers needed for all learners to finish a test.
- Computer-adaptive testing requires robust technical support because malfunctioning systems can derail test administration and disrupt school scheduling and operations.
- For districts and schools that rely on paper-based processes, transitioning to online, might be burdensome.
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