Maryland Assessment Research Center for Education Success,
University of Maryland, College Park
800 464-3742

Quick start
Proposal (Word format)
A few Powerpoint slides

Proof-of-concept for an on-line computer-adaptive-test for MSDE

Concept: 

• Test skills needed for High School graduation
• Quick (10-15 minutes per subject area)
• Independent self-assessment
• Detailed feedback
• Identified resources for self-study

Approach

• On-line; always available
• Computer adaptive test technology
• self-study resource available

This Demonstration

• Portion of the MD HS Biology Assessment
• Released restructured response items
• Actual computer adaptive test
• Three skill areas
• Shows what the student might see
• Shows behind the scenes statistics
• 3-10 minutes; 6-15 items
• NOTE: This does not include constructed response items. The real thing would.

With this technology, each examinee will receive a different sequence of items. After each item is administered, the student's ability is estimated and a variety of statistics are computed in order to identify which new item will provide the most information about the examinee. 

To start 

The goal here, like any test, is to closely estimate the examinee's true ability - the score they would receive on a perfectly valid and perfectly reliable test. Pick your true score (i.e. pretend you are of below average, average, or above average ability). Then see if the software estimates your ability and what type of feedback you receive. This should take 3 to 10 minutes.

How to do this

1. Select a true ability (above) and push "Start"
2. Biology items will be presented. Push "Submit" at least 6 times. Note that the ability estimate approaches the true ability.
3. After at least 6 items, push "All Done". Examine the feedback given to students and the statistics at the bottom of the page

The software will identify the most likely answers  given the selected true ability. Please usually take the response selected by the computer. You can occasionally respond correctly when you should have gotten the item wrong (e.g. a lucky guess) or get an easy item wrong (e.g. dumb mistake). That's what happens in real life. If you do that, then, for this demo, please take three more items for each unexpected response. The software will adapt if enough items are taken.

Note

• Don't expect the system to exactly recapture the true score with only a handful of items. But the system will be relatively close.
• The more items you take, the more accurate will be your estimated score.
• This is a prototype, not a finished product