Tuesday 18 August 2015
Start Date
18-8-2015 10:45 AM
End Date
18-8-2015 12:00 PM
Abstract
The task of developing and delivering the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) online presents enormous challenges. Nonetheless, the benefits of taking this on are well worth the efforts. With a tailored test design, NAPLAN online will provide a better measure of the Australian Curriculum, more precise results and a significantly faster turnaround of those results. NAPLAN will begin its delivery online in 2017, with an opt-in period until 2019. To ensure readiness, a large amount of research is being conducted through the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to inform the development process. This presentation will address the advantages of moving online, as well as outline several key research studies to be conducted prior to the test’s implementation, including:
• a trialling study to ensure all item types (traditional and innovative) work in the online environment
• a device-effect study to ensure no disadvantage
to students regardless of whether they use laptops or tablets
• a fonts and readability study, to ensure the best layout for reading test (passages and items)
• an accessibility study to ensure the test is fair for all students, including students with disabilities, students in remote areas, and so on
• an autoscoring study, to demonstrate that computers can score NAPLAN writing as well as teachers.
Recommended Citation
Rabinowitz, S. (2015, August 18). The move to NAPLAN online: The advantages and the road ahead [Paper presentation]. Research Conference 2015 - Learning assessments: Designing the future. https://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/RC2015/18august/4
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 Australian Council for Educational Research
Place of Publication
Melbourne
Publisher
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
ISBN
9781742862873
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons
The move to NAPLAN online: The advantages and the road ahead
The task of developing and delivering the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) online presents enormous challenges. Nonetheless, the benefits of taking this on are well worth the efforts. With a tailored test design, NAPLAN online will provide a better measure of the Australian Curriculum, more precise results and a significantly faster turnaround of those results. NAPLAN will begin its delivery online in 2017, with an opt-in period until 2019. To ensure readiness, a large amount of research is being conducted through the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to inform the development process. This presentation will address the advantages of moving online, as well as outline several key research studies to be conducted prior to the test’s implementation, including:
• a trialling study to ensure all item types (traditional and innovative) work in the online environment
• a device-effect study to ensure no disadvantage
to students regardless of whether they use laptops or tablets
• a fonts and readability study, to ensure the best layout for reading test (passages and items)
• an accessibility study to ensure the test is fair for all students, including students with disabilities, students in remote areas, and so on
• an autoscoring study, to demonstrate that computers can score NAPLAN writing as well as teachers.
Comments
with discussant Professor Barry McGaw, McGaw Group