7 - Improving Education through Computer-Based Alternative Assessment Methods

Summary

Assessment contributes to the educational process of students but only a small fraction of the full potential is typically realized. The primary impediment to realizing greater benefit is the infeasibility of implementing more effective alternatives in the resource-limited settings typical of modern educational environments. We are developing a system architecture that exploits hypermedia technology to overcome serious limitations of traditional assessment methods.

The architecture addresses the design of cost-effective confidence-measuring and performance-testing assessment vehicles using hypermedia-based studentsystem interaction. In this paper we describe the conceptual foundation, its embodiment in prototypes, and preliminary results from classroom tests.

Keywords: educational assessment, hypermedia, computer-assisted education.

Introduction

The educational experience can be enhanced by using assessment methods as techniques for evaluation and as guides for instructors and administrators in curriculum design and teaching methods (Airasian, 1991). Unfortunately, standardized assessment methods do not discriminate between finer-grained states of knowledge nor do they adequately reflect the ability of students to apply what they've learned. In addition, since the assessment instrument significantly influences instruction, alternative assessment methods are needed to better address fundamental educational goals. Past attempts to address these problems and goals on a large scale using traditional technology have proven infeasible primarily due to the high costs of providing adequate, standardized materials and controlled, responsive environments. In this paper we present alternatives that exploit the characteristics of modern hypermedia-capable computer systems to achieve the desired goals in a cost-effective way.