As I pressed start on the test it was Deja Vu for me, I was back taking the GRE. I was prepared for the GRE, I had taken practice test and even completed the tutorial on how to navigate through the test several times. I hadn't put much thought into the hinderance that came into play when students did not know how to navigate the test. As I clicked start on the test and received the first question I was immediately encountered with a navigation problem. It's hard to imagine that if me, a person familiar with computers and online testing, had problems with navigation then how would the students who have little or no experience feel? This affects their tests scored because they might get frustrated and the navigation and pay less attention to the content.
In class we did the activity of some of us having one or more restriction. I was supposed to write an essay in 30 min using only both of my index fingers. I was frustrated on trying to type as fast but at the same time being cautious. This applies to the online test, what about students with restrictions? Perhaps this can help them but we didn't go into a discussion about this in the class.
Something tat struck most of us was the fact that some of the questions in the test were not clearly labeled. Liz brought up the point that if they are embedded in the text you are reading, the student spends more time looking for the question than actually answering the question. Again, time is wasted in the logistics rather than being spent on the content.
If studies have been done that show that testing on paper tends to yield better scores as opposed to online testing, why are we moving forward to online testing. One of the briefly discussed reasons in class was that it was cheaper for not only the schools but the government. It is also convenient for testing. I remember having to wait a couple of weeks to obtain my SAT/ACT scores, but when I took the online GRE my scores were available sooner. In context of this class, preparing students for future technology use is imperative. We need to prepare our students for living in 2014 where technology is all around us.
Lulu, you definitely bring up some good points here. During the class activity my restriction was that I could only type with the ring finger of my non-dominant hand! This was a struggle for me and I found myself concentrating more on typing the correct letters and trying to navigate around the moving document, rather than the things I was trying to say. This really opened my eyes about how some students might perform poorly because they cannot focus all of their attention on solving the problems. I always assumed the main hindrance that students faced when taking these exams on the computer was that they couldn't stare at a computer screen for a very long time. Now I realize that there are so many other factors that play a role in their scores and experiences. I completely agree that dealing with these issues during a test wastes time, so maybe it would be beneficial for teachers to set some time aside to help students learn about technology and how to navigate through different interfaces beforehand.
ReplyDeleteLulu, you make some great points in your post. The question I have is: how can teachers help prepare students in the future to take computerized tests? Is there enough time in the classroom to go over all the difficulties (such as questions embedded in the text, split screens, etc.) they may encounter? Is this something that needs to be embedded in the entire school curriculum? In our activity during class, we experienced the struggles of taking a digital test but luckily for us, it didn't count. I can't imagine taking a high stakes exam and being at such a disadvantage. There is certainly inequity in this process and as future teachers and advocates of student equity I struggle to think what I can do.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Wilbur. I think the school should implement it in it's curriculum to prepare students for these tests. The school wants students to do good in these test but they are not properly prepared. I think that as teachers we should advocate for the students and push for practice tests where students can get a feel for the test and become familiar with them. That's what I think we can do for the most part it is up to the school and the district to allow this to happen. Maybe teachers can also have students do a quick practice test in the classroom so they are at least exposed to the logistics of the test.
DeleteLulu, I think the frustration or confusion you felt in class was shared by the majority of students in both the activities. For the typing with certain limitations, I think it really can be eye-opening to the negative effect technology and time restraints can have on students and their thought process, even when the purpose of those implementations was to make things MORE efficient. With respect to the testing, do you think that if the students were prepped in the testing format prior, that they would be comfortable and handle it well, or is the technology detrimental regardless of prep time? I think they would do better, with exceptions of course, and I think it's not fair to judge the tech testing without thinking about the preparation that students will go through prior to taking the test for real.
ReplyDeleteKareem I agree with you, I feel students would do better with preparation. They know what to expect and they will spend less time trying to figure out how to navigate the test and focus on the questions. I think that with the less frustration about the structure of the test the more likely students are to focus on the content.
DeleteLulu, I really appreciate the analogy you share regarding the Smarter Assessment and taking the GRE. When I took the GRE, I spent so much time navigating the computer, that I struggled to finish in the allotted time. If I struggle with something like this, and I am computer savvy, what about those who are not as advanced as I?
ReplyDeleteI guess my question for you is, if we need to prepare our students to be successful in 2014 with the technology utilized in these assessments, how do we do it? If we are challenged by this, how do we acclimate our students to these sort of exams?