Assessment

Assessment Models - Commercial Tests

Standardized tests can be bought from organizations such as Educational Testing Service and American College Testing, to name two. These tests usually use multiple-choice questions. Standardized is defined as having uniform testing conditions and scoring procedures. They are normed, allowing for comparison to other institutions.

Advantages

• Widely accepted and recognized as a traditional assessment technique
• On-campus time and work is minimal or localized in certain positions
• Can be used for certification or licensure of students
• Give longitudinal data
• High quality technically

Potential Problems

• Poor validity unless aligned with specific learning outcomes and actual student learning
• Can lead to “teaching to the test”
• Emphasize factual recall over more complex types of learning
• Don’t give as much information on levels of understanding or thinking that goes into the answer
• Students can’t construct their own answers or show affective traits such as persistence and creativity
• Don’t always reflect the students’ best efforts