Work in Progress...
This page aims to develop design guidelines for building accessible standardized testing tools for OER (Open Education Resources) authors.
A key feature of accessible standardized testings will be the use of laptops, desktop computers and touch screen tablets/surfaces for delivery of tests and collection of student responses. Traditionally, standardized testings have been altered extensively for students who have disabilities, however, computer-delivered accessible standardized testings aim to minimize these exceptions or special arrangements where possible and provide accommodations and supports to all students who need them without relying on teachers to provide them. *3 Computer-aided standardized testings cover a broad range of tools from automated multiple-choice type questions to the use of media, simulations and virtual laboratory spaces for testing students. Thus, where sound, vision, dexterity, the ability to spell words ‘correctly’ and speedy response times can affect the outcome of standardized testings; accessibility issues must also be considered and explored. *8
Maintaining place and saving completed responses during breaks *7
Foreground and background colors can be selected by the user. *6
Complex backgrounds that interfere with readability of overlying text should be avoided *7
Provide a script for sign language interpreters to prevent revealing some answers
Provide capacity to turn off monitor/ blank screen temporarily *7
Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple pages within a set of pages should occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated, unless a change is initiated by the user. *6
Capacity for any student to select calculator or dictionary option *7
Type | Definition | Context | Accessibility Issues to Consider |
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Low Stake Standardized Testing | Low-stakes standardized testing is a form of testing encompassed by the immediate process of learning, often in a very short feedback loop, such as exercises or quizzes. Sometimes this is called "formative" standardized testing or even just "feedback". The essential characteristics are immediacy and the lack of serious consequences contingent on performance. *1 |
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Formative Standardized Testing | The goal of formative standardized testing is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately and by students to identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. Formative standardized testings are generally low stakes, which means that they have low or no point value. Examples of Formative standardized testings include:
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High Stake Standardized Testing | High-stakes standardized testing has consequences that may make a serious impact on the life-course of the participant. An example might be a university entrance examination. It is important that a high-stakes standardized testing be fair to all candidates and not offer advantages to one group over another. *1 |
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Summative Standardized Testing | The goal of summative standardized testing is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Summative standardized testings are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value. Examples of summative standardized testings include:
Information from summative standardized testings can be used formatively when students or faculty use it to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses. *2 | ||
Self Assessment | standardized testing or evaluation of oneself or one's actions and attitudes, in particular, of one's performance at a job or learning task considered in relation to an objective standard. |
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Tool | Description | Required capabilities to operate task | Current Examples | Accessibility Issues | Alternative Methods |
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Multiple Choice | A traditional multiple choice question (or item) is one in which a student chooses one answer from a number of choices supplied. *4 |
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True/False | A true-false questions is a specialized form of the multiple-choice format in which there are only two possible alternatives. These questions can be used when the test designer wishes to measure a student's ability to identify whether statements of fact are accurate or not. *4 |
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Multiple Select | This item allows user to choose more than one response option. *3 |
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Labeling (Graphic) | The graphic labeling task requires user to drag-and-drop labels to the correct location on an image or diagram (e.g. Venn Diagram). This type of question can be manipulated on a computer with a mouse or trackball or on a touch screen tablet. *3 |
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Labeling (One to One) | For this drag and drop task, the user selects a label from a list at the top of the screen and drags it to the correct location on the screen. Once the label has been used, it cannot be reused unless it is first moved back to the top of the screen. *3 |
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Labeling (Unlimited) | This item is similar to one-to-one labeling except that labels can be reused. The user clicks or touches the label and drags it to the correct location. *3 |
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Matching | With matching, the student matches each label with its correct response by clicking or touching one element in each column in turn. When the option in the second column is chosen, a line appears marking the connection between the two. Each option can be paired only once. *3 |
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Categorization | The categorization item requires the user to organize elements into categories. There are two interfaces for this item type. In the drag-and-drop interface, the user clicks or touches an element and drags it into the correct category using a mouse or touch screen. With the click-to-select interface, the user clicks or selects an element to select it. Then, the user clicks or touches the category label, and the element appears in that category. *3 |
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Ordering/ Ranking | Ordering/Ranking/Sequencing is a drag-and-drop task in which the student must move the elements on the screen to put them in the correct order. *3 |
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Interactive | Includes videos, animations, coloring, graphing, games, puzzles or any other type of question that requires high levels of interaction between user and the interface. |
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Field Simulations | Offers simulations of real problems or exercises *4 |
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Matrix | The matrix item type allows the user to assign elements to categories or groups. *3 |
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Assertion Reason | The assertion-reason item combines elements of multiple choice and true/false question types, and allows you to test more complicated issues and requires a higher level of learning. The question consists of two statements, an assertion and a reason. The student must first determine whether each statement is true. If both are true, the student must next determine whether the reason correctly explains the assertion. There is one option for each possible outcome. *4 |
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Constructed Response (Text/ Numerical) | The text match question requires a student to supply an answer to a question or complete a blank within a brief piece of text, using words, symbols or numbers. *4 |
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Select Text/ Sore finger | A word/ Code/ Phrase is out of keeping with the rest of package. *4 This item requires user to select one or more words, phrases, or sentences from a passage. When user selects an option, its appearance changes to verify that it has been selected. *3 |
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Essays | This item requires examination on a given topic requiring a written analysis or explanation, usually of a specified length from a sentence to multiple pages. |
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Please test the following tools and add your comments to this page.
Tool's Name | Description | Link |
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Nimbletools | NimbleTools is designed for use by general education students and students with special needs. This means that a single version of a test can be created and delivered to students across a school, district, or state in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The accessibility and accommodation tools embedded within NimbleTools also assure that students with disabilities and special needs are provided with appropriate accommodations in a standardized and controlled manner. *9 | http://nimbletools.com/demo/index.htm |