In thinking back to our second class session, and the discussions which were had regarding the Better Balanced Assessment, one of the things which struck me was the increasing move toward students taking standardized, often very important tests, on computers.
In preparation for this post, I went back and took another look at the Smarter Balanced practice test and one thing immediately stood out to me. The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) were bad. Really bad. And while, on the one hand, I am tempted to dimly shake my head and think, 'ah, well, let's be honest, do we really expect these guys to be designers?' I have to realize that students are actually going to be using these and taking these. Not only does that pose a problem for the all-digital future (if it comes to pass,) but in the present I find it quite troubling, because it suggests to me that computer-taking students may be at a decided disadvantage to their pen-and-paper brethren, if for no other reason than the fact that the web page layout and system controls are poorly thought out. Again, this does not take into account all of the OTHER reasons why computers as the sole means of administering standardized tests could pose problems (lower reading comprehension of text read off a screen as opposed to paper, the necessity of all schools to purchase enough computers to serve the student body, etc.) Based merely on the UI/UX alone, I feel that some students may be placed at a disadvantage.
Now, in the fullness of time, if all students are taking test electronically (and ONLY electronically) this would theoretically shake itself out, perhaps with students simply getting lower scores across the board. However, because the electronic nature of the exam requires far more input controls than a paper test (pencils don't need a detailed formatting menu or color palette options), every test will be a little bit different, and sometimes ALOT different, with some exams being well thought out and designed, and some of them being so kludgy and disgusting as to make moving from one screen to the next an exercise in mental focus and discipline.
To this problem, I have no real answers. There are a great many decided advantages to taking a test electronically, insta-scoring and reporting chief among them, however I am not confident that the gains which we receive from pursuing a digital-only strategy in this particular case outweigh the potential harmful affects to students.
You make some really great points here Mark. There are several disadvantages for students taking computer-based standardized tests. The test that we experienced was both visually and cognitively disconcerting to me, so I can only imagine how a student taking the test would react. I think you were the one in class who pointed to the many different types of questions that are posed, first question you have multiple choice, the next short answer, the next fill-in-the-blank, and even the next read the passage and discern what a word or phrase means. It is like someone said, oh well different students will do well with different types of questions, so let's throw them all in! But, it's a hodgepodge, and like a cognitive obstacle course. Although there are advantages like insta-scoring, those advantages are not student-centered, much like the tests themselves that are used for teacher and school assessment.
ReplyDeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteLooks like a pretty solid assessment of a really flawed assessment. Ultimately, I think we as educators focus on the "lead measures" (what and how to teach) and let the test-makers do their job, albeit rather poorly, and focus on the "lag measures." We must remember that the target has always been moving for educators, but good teaching will always be good teaching. Teach what and how you know is right, and don't let these flawed systems distract you!