The article by Alderson (2000) is about the technology in testing. It mainly describes the advantages and disadvantages of the CBTs TOFEL and DIALANG. Compared with traditional paper-and –pencil-based tests, the computer r-based tests do not required the test-takers to be herded in to a room. They can take the tests on their own and in any places.
Besides, the computer-based tests can provide the feedbacks to the test-takers immediately. Another advantage is the test security.
The disadvantages include the need of the training the test-takers of the computer skills and the limitations of which language skills to test.
The author also describe other two technologies—e-rater, which is testing the writing ability and PhonePass, which is testing the speaking ability.
When evaluating the technology, we need to judge it in some aspects, such as the speed of assessments, the validity and the immediate availability of the results.
In the further researches, the author states some problems that need to be investigated, for example, the best way to assess the ability, the most appropriate and meaning clues that can be provided to the test-takers, etc.
In the conclusion, the author said that the key point of technology in testing is that the IT-based assessment can have beneficiary backwash on teaching and learning.
After reading this article, I want to share my own opinions about the IT-based tests I have taken before.
The first one is TOFEL iBT. I took all the four sections on line and generally I think it is much more difficult than IELTS, which is paper-and-pencil based test. First of all, it is much more challenging to read articles on the computer screen, especially for us who have been used to read on the papers. Secondly, typing on the computer is very demanding in the terms of the speed. The test-takers should organize the article and then type it into the computer, what is worse, it is probable for test-takers to misspell the vocabularies when typing too fast. The most important concern about TOFEL iBT is the speaking and listening sections, I think it is dehumanized to speak to a machine. Test-takers may feel uncomfortable and unease. Sometimes when one test-taker is doing the listening section which someone else nearby is doing the speaking section, which will definitely have harmful impact on his or her performance in this section.
There is a store of data for TOFEL iBT, which I think is a disadvantage. After the test-takers take the test year by year, all the data in the store will be run out. So that one item may appear again in different places and different time, which challenge the security of the test.
2 comments:
I quite agree with you. Sometimes, the internet-based testing is problematic: outside interruptions, cheating, possible computer problems, and repeating items. This relatively new form of testing still needs perfection.
I agree that computer-based tests free assessment from the time and space limitations. Immediate assessment results as well as efficient feedback is a major advantage why online testing overides the traditional pen-and-paper tests.
Post a Comment