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| Computer Assisted | The item banking approach is used with computer-assisted testing. Objective test items are stored in a central computer server. A variety of equivalent versions of the same test can be produced throughout such procedures as accidental collection of items or variety of items based on a particular combination of complexity level and discrimination power. This approach to evaluation is not extremely dissimilar from the conventional paper-and-pencil objective test. Items are accessible on screen in place of on a piece of paper and students answer by making choices on screen.
The disadvantages of this approach are fairly comparable to those of the conventional objective test. On the other hand, there are a number of supplementary disadvantages. First, when implemented, this approach would necessitate that all students have access to a computer linked to the central server. In addition there needs to be a big item pool with known difficulties and discrimination power produced in stores on the server. Consequently, a first requirement is that all students have access to the necessary technology, which may be difficult. The instructor also needs to be knowledgeable of both the computer technology and test item analysis so as to create, store, and administer the item bank. In conclusion, this approach can be expected to be more expensive than conventional objective testing.
The complexity of implementing conventional objective tests in distance education to uphold the benefits of competence and dependability also applies to computer-assisted testing. The incapability to uphold high dependability, on the other hand, is reduced for computer-assisted testing. Particularly, the test safety problem is eased in that dissimilar students will be administered equivalent but not identical tests. Furthermore, it would not be probable for anyone to get a copy of the test since there is simply a large item bank, not a test.
Despite this benefit, however, there is still no control over who exactly responds to the test and what resources are obtainable at the time of the test. As a result, computer-assisted testing is also not appropriate for placement and summative assessments. For formative evaluation, however, computer-assisted testing does have a supplementary benefit over the conventional objective test. Students can take the test many time s until they can show mastery. At every administration, an equivalent but not identical test is used. This is impossible with the conventional objective test. Finally, as computer networking becomes more practicable, it would be probable for students to log on at any time to do formative or diagnostic testing, adding flexibility in addition to extra support for distance learners.
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