Online Testing

An Authentic Twist To

Traditional Assessment

Melanie Wiscount Pine Grove Area High School

Business, Computer, & Information Technology

Department

Evolution Of Testing

Late 1800’s -awareness that individual

differences in intellectual abilities are

potentially measurable in the same way

that height and weight are measurable

Most tests were oral in nature

Short assessment on slates

Paper manufacturing

Paper & quill tests

Paper & pencil tests

Evolution of Testing

1900 - College Entrance Exam

1930s & 1940s -Testing took on a scientific

plane

1960s - Achievement Tests

Card-fed comprehensive tests with card

readers

Standardized assessments according to

specific standards

Online testing

Examples Of Online Testing Outside

The Classroom

Driver’s License theory tests

College placement tests

Candidate Screening - New job applicants

GRE, Praxis, Trade, License, etc. tests

On the Job Training - Employees

Online college/university courses

Why Test Your Students Online?

Students benefit:

Preparation for real-life applications

Makes the students comfortable with this medium

for testing- instrument of the present & future

Online tests are attention-getters - perfect for your

computer-savvy students

Creates excitement in & acceptance of a new way

of testing

Why Test Your Students Online?

Students benefit:

Improved learning

Authentic method of assessment

Especially important for business education

classes

Instant or rapid feedback

View their answers & the correct answers

Passwords provide grading security

Why Test Your Students Online?

Teachers benefit:

• Saves time distributing, collecting, & grading tests and recording grades

• Saves paper - great for our students’ future planet

• Online tests are available to absent students

• Creates information-packed reports for teacher analysis on student performance

Why Test Your Students Online?

Teachers benefit:

Creates information-packed reports for test

analysis

Creates excitement in our students for test-

taking

Many assessments from other teachers are

available

Insert specific directions and hidden

messages

Grades can be imported to MyGradebook

Collaboration with other teachers

Why Test Your Students Online?

Teachers and students benefit:

Secure student data

• COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of

1998) compliant

• Daily server backups and offsite storage of archives

• Access encrypted via the Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

protocol

• Secure logout for protection of accounts accessed on a

shared computer

• Every time an attempt (successful or unsuccessful) to

access a teacher account is made, teacher emailed

showing the date, time, IP address, and the result of the

attempt

• Teacher account is automatically locked out for an

hour with three consecutive failed login attempts

Why Test Your Students Online?

Sound pedagogical reasons for

incorporating online testing:

PSSA multiple-choice format

Formative vs. Summative assessment

Encourages engagement with the subject

Decrease of test anxiety

Why Test Your Students Online?

Sound pedagogical reasons for

incorporating online testing:

Take tests multiple times

• Aim for better score

• Allows key points or theories to be

reinforced

• After the first attempt at the test, there is

likely to be a very focused (and efficient)

reading of the course material which will

almost certainly result in learning

Why Test Your Students Online?

Multiple-choice questions

PSSA format

Simply challenge a student's ability to recall

facts

Test a student's ability to apply factual

knowledge to given situations

At a higher level, a question may test a student's

ability to evaluate given information

Why Test Your Students Online?

No Child Left Behind

Dyslexic – time factor

Visually-handicapped

Hand-writing

IEP accommodations

• Different test versions

• Retesting or increase in test attempts

Web-based access from school or home

Creative Ways To Use Quizlab

Assessment

Prepare a set of quizzes to measure monthly

student progress in a specific skill or subject

Develop quizzes to go with lessons or units to

determine which students need extra review

Note the state standard you are assessing in

the "instructions" text box at the top of each quiz

Creative Ways To Use Quizlab

Learning and Practice

Vocabulary tests

Assign English and math standards exercises

that apply to your curriculum to monitor student

progress while they work independently

Set up end-of-article quizzes for students to

complete when they finish independent reading

assignments

• Wall Street Journal for the Classroom

• Newspaper current events

Creative Ways To Use Quizlab

Enrichment and Remediation

Customize assessments to a subgroup of

students

Those students who need extra practice can

work outside the classroom in the library or

from home

Provide practice quizzes to build student skills

in problem areas

Assign independent projects as enrichment for

our gifted students

Creative Ways To Use Quizlab

Classroom Management

Use on substitute days

Different levels of work for special learners

Re-use and update quizzes easily year after

year by saving them in Quiz Lab

Use Quizlab to take a Student Survey to track

student feedback on your performance

Creative Ways To Use Quizlab

Motivation

Take a survey before introducing a unit to

measure students’ knowledge (pretest) or to use it

as an anticipatory set to create excitement

Use seasonal quizzes as fun fillers during

classroom breaks

Encourage parents to periodically log in to review

student scores, so they can support your efforts by

providing praise or assisting their kids

How Does A Teacher Begin?

Register at online testing web site

www.quizlab.com • $39.95/teacher $32.95 2-6 teachers

www.hostedtest.com • Pre-paid response packages

www.webassign.net • $250 for first year/$150 for renewal

How Does A Teacher Begin?

Register at online test site

www.quizlab.com • Import tests & quizzes from other teachers

• Create your own tests & quizzes

• Grades students’ tests & quizzes

• Creates grading reports

• Provides communication to students/parents

• Provides information to students

Import Tests & Quizzes From

Other Teachers

Broken down by subject

Broken down by grade level

Assign to specific classes

Assign on specific dates

May customize imports to your class

Need to proofread

Need to make sure appropriate assessment for

your objectives & curriculum

Ready-made quizzes can be edited to align with

state standards or learning objectives

Create Your Own Tests & Quizzes

Choose between true/false, multiple

choice, & essay questions

Customize to your lessons & objectives

grade level

Assign to specific classes

Assign on specific dates

Design any length assessment

Need to proofread

Share with other teachers

Test Environment

In-class

Absent students

Test mode – no talking, conferring,

collaborating

No notes, resources, help

Multiple test attempts

Same day

Next day

Grades Students Tests & Quizzes

Grades according to your predetermined

correct answer

Sends grades to your email daily/weekly

Calculates grade percentage as well as

showing number of correct answers per

student and class

Shows all students’ attempts

Creates Grading Reports

Reports according to:

By student

• Each attempt

• Each quiz

By quiz

• Question

By class

• Average

Provides Communication To

Students/Parents

Announces quizzes

Teachers can email students and/or parents

Students and/or parents can email teacher

Great tool to keep absent students “in the

know”

Provides students with homework reminders

Provides Information To Students

Announces lessons & activities

Calendar

Web links - web sites used in class

Students’ test & quiz scores

Customized home page for each class

How Does A Teacher Begin?

Log onto www.quizlab.com

Try out quizlab for 30 day free trial period

Annual cost $39.95/teacher

Assign classes and class ID names

Assign students & passwords

Print out students’ logon instructions to

distribute

Design for each class:

Home page Web links

Calendar Welcome Message

Online Testing Hands-on

Demonstration

My Recommendations

Proofread - proofread - proofread

Allow students to become accustomed to new assessment by giving them at least two attempts to take first test/quiz

Give first assessment as a 10 point quiz

Have students take first quiz in class

Assign quiz or test to classes over a period of 2 - 3 days

My Recommendations

Choose for students to see score after each

question – formative assessment

Choose for students to see score at end of

test – summative assessment

Refer to quiz lab class homepage frequently

Be current with your calendar & assignments

Keep web links up-to-date

Include in syllabus, parent/teacher open

house, conferences

Online Testing

Traditional assessment using an

authentic method!

“Give your course presence on the

web!”

Any questions?

Bibliography

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/publications/bejlt/volume1issue1/practice/c

hapman04.html

http://www.psychologyinfo.com/testing/

www.quizlab.com