This is my presentation Online Testing: An Authentic Twist to Traditional Assessment, presented at the Bloomsburg University College of Business BE Spring 2005 Workshop, Bethlehem, PA, April 22, 2005.

1. Online Testing
An Authentic Twist To
Traditional Assessment
Melanie Wiscount
Pine Grove Area High School
Business, Computer, & Information Technology
Department

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. Test Environment
In-class
Absent students
Test mode – no talking, conferring,
collaborating
No notes, resources, help
Multiple test attempts
 Same day
 Next day

24. 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

25. Creates Grading Reports
Reports according to:
By student
• Each attempt
• Each quiz
By quiz
• Question
By class
• Average

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. Online Testing Hands-on
Demonstration

30. 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

31. 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

32. Online Testing
 Traditional assessment using an
authentic method!
 “Give your course presence on the
web!”
 Any questions?

33. Bibliography
 http://www.brookes.ac.uk/publications/bejlt/volume1issue1/practice/c
hapman04.html
 http://www.psychologyinfo.com/testing/
 www.quizlab.com