Return-Path: <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j96IX3G14270; Thu, 6 Oct 2005 14:33:03 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 14:33:03 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <003401c5caa4$3d6a4870$f5607b83@Hebe> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Dianna Baycich" <dbaycich@literacy.kent.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1263] RE: Computer assessment and adult learners X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2911 Lines: 81 I tutor an adult struggling reader who has not used a computer or a typwriter. He also has a condition that causes his hands to shake. Asking this student to use the computer to take a test would be unkind to say the least. The tutorial that Julie directed us to is helpful (yes, I went through it) but my student would have to repeat this tutorial several times before he would be prepared to take the test. One thing I noticed on this tutorial was that if you miss the period at the end of a sentence when highlighting, the answer is counted wrong. This requires a degree of precision that many new computer users would not have. Dianna B. -----Original Message----- From: nifl-assessment@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-assessment@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Marie Cora Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 9:30 AM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1259] Computer assessment and adult learners Hi everyone, I wanted to prod you all to add your thoughts to Nancy's questions from the other day regarding testing via computers in ABE/ESOL. What are your thoughts, and what have been your experiences on this? I have done a little bit of work using the BEST Plus with adult learners - but in that case, it is the teacher/test administrator who actually is using the computer and asking questions of the test-taker. As an aside, the great thing about this type of computer testing is that the software program automatically stops you when the student has reached as far as they can go, and it also jumps over questions that it realizes the student will have no problem answering. Thus, you avoid the unnecessary and sometimes painful process of forcing students to answer way too easy questions, for example. But! This is not the situation Nancy is describing here - so do folks have thoughts on adult students personally using a computer for assessment purposes? I am also sending this reply to the NIFL-Technology List to see if folks over there have something to contribute to this discussion. Thanks! marie marie cora Moderator, NIFL Assessment Discussion List, and Coordinator/Developer LINCS Assessment Special Collection at http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/ marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com On Wed 10/5/2005, Nancy Hansen wrote: I also have a question to those who test using > computers: Do you find the skills of the learner > who > has had next to NO exposure to computers and LITTLE > literacy skills are accurately being portrayed via > this style testing? > > I have men and women in our adult literacy program > who > had never sat down at a computer - much less used a > mouse before. I cannot imagine that their extensive > life skills would be evaluated appropriately when > they > hit and miss at the computer - sometimes even > striking > incorrect keys. > > Nancy Hansen > Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council > sfallsliteracy@yahoo.com >
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