Special Report
Assessment

Digital Advances, Common Core Fuel New Testing Approaches

By Kevin Bushweller — March 10, 2014 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Figuring out how to use digital tools to transform testing can be a bumpy ride. It requires a willingness to invest in new technologies and the patience to experiment with novel approaches, a commitment to ongoing professional development and reliable technical support, and an openness to learn from mistakes, making quick adjustments in response.

Whatever bumpy ride this technological journey takes, experts insist that online assessments—for both high-stakes tests and classroom exams—are the undeniable wave of the future. They see online tests, and adaptive ones in particular, as a key tool for building personalized learning programs that address students’ individual strengths and weaknesses.

And with only about a year to go before students in most states are scheduled to take new, online assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards, districts are still taking stock of whether the technology they have on hand will meet their needs. Many schools are now seeing, late in the game, that the gap between what they have and what they need is troubling.

What may be worse, others remain in a “this too shall pass” state of mind, said Thomas Ryan, the chief executive officer of the eLearn Institute, a nonprofit based in Wyomissing, Pa., that works to transform education through the use of digital learning tools. “The thinking being, ‘Maybe we can play this slow and miss this one,’ ” he told Education Week.

Bandwidth Needs

A recent report by the State Educational Technology Directors Association, in Glen Burnie, Md., suggests that concerns about schools’ technological readiness for common-core testing are justified. It found that 72 percent of schools do not meet the basic Internet-bandwidth requirements of 100 kilobits per second per student set by the association—essentially the minimum of what’s required for a schoolwide 1-to-1 computing environment.

Further, a 2013 survey by the Consortium for School Networking, based in Washington, and Market Data Retrieval, an education market-research firm in Shelton, Conn., found that only 57 percent of elementary schools and 64 percent of secondary schools had wireless capability.

That lack of preparation for the common-core online tests could be a major missed opportunity for many schools, experts point out, because the digital upgrades put in place for the common core could fuel the use of technology to transform testing in other ways.

One of the potentially most powerful tools is in-class formative assessments that provide real-time feedback on what students know and understand. Some districts are already taking significant steps to experiment with how technology can improve such an assessment approach.

Having a stronger technology backbone in place could also set the stage for wider use of assistive technologies. Once seen as primarily for students with disabilities, those technologies are now merging into the broader testing world, especially as more states and districts embrace online testing. Computer-based exams provide an opportunity to allow all students to tap into accommodations that could aid comprehension and focus.

At the same time, many educators are learning important lessons about using digital games and simulations that feature embedded assessments. The rich multimedia content and interactive experiences in games and simulations provide an opportunity for deeper insights into the nuances and complexities of how students solve problems.

Even so, some experts advise schools to stay focused on integrating technology into assessments in thoughtful ways that have an impact on learning.

“We all want to avoid the gee-whiz factor,” Eva L. Baker, the director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, & Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles told Education Week. “We have to make sure there is adequate evidence these things work and are not simply the next big thing.”

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment As They Revamp Grading, Districts Try to Improve Consistency, Prevent Inflation
Districts have embraced bold changes to make grading systems more consistent, but some say they've inflated grades and sent mixed signals.
10 min read
Close crop of a teacher's hands grading a stack of papers with a red marker.
E+
Assessment Opinion What's the Best Way to Grade Students? Teachers Weigh In
There are many ways to make grading a better, more productive experience for students. Here are a few.
14 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Assessment Spotlight Spotlight on Assessment
This Spotlight will help you evaluate effective ways to offer students feedback, learn how to improve assessments for ELs, and more.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Whitepaper
Understanding 'Through-Year' Assessment: What Everyone Should Know
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconsider our assessment systems. Discover a fresh approach with Through-Year Assessment.
Content provided by New Meridian