(School) Computer Adaptive Tests Best Practices

We share these best practices to help you use the CAT feature most effectively while maintaining the integrity of your educational assessments.

 

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please feel free to give us a call or schedule a training session.

 

Computer Adaptive Testing Best Practices

Purpose of CAT:

  • The CAT is designed as an assessment tool to help trend your students' understanding of cognitive knowledge over time.
  • It can be an excellent way to gauge whether a student is ready to become a candidate for credentialing exams.
  • Similarly, using CAT to determine a student's readiness to progress to the next phase of the program is appropriate.

Test Structure:

  • Each student receives a unique test, which makes it unsuitable for standardized final or placement exams.
  • The CAT aims to adapt to each student's knowledge level, providing a personalized assessment experience.

Question Repetition:

  • The CAT uses questions from the same bank as Quizzes and Tests, and group testing.
  • This means students may encounter questions they have previously seen, reducing the effectiveness of using CAT as a high-stakes assessment tool.
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Best Practices:

  • Use CAT for Ongoing Assessment:
    • Employ the CAT feature regularly to monitor and trend students' cognitive knowledge and understanding.
    • Analyze the results to identify areas where students may need additional support or instruction.
  • Encouraged Uses:
    • Use CAT experiences to assess a student's readiness for credentialing exams.
    • Use CAT to determine a student's readiness to progress to the next phase of your program.
    • We encourage a progressive model for using the CAT. Teach the content, test it, and then unlock it for students to use in their CAT experiences.
  • Discouraged Uses:
    • Using CAT for grading purposes beyond participation.
    • Using CAT as the final comprehensive exam for your program.
    • We do not recommend making topics available in the CAT until you have covered the content in class.
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