MAY 2006
Welcome to Progress
By Quinn Sutton
I have been around the testing and certification industry longer than I care to admit publicly but having "been around the block" does have its advantages. I have earned every gray hair or in my case, the loss thereof, through my years of industry experience. Although with the advent of new technologies, I still often feel like I am trying to catch up, nevertheless, my experience has given me one important thing - perspective. This perspective is what I would like to share with each of you.
This newsletter is called Progress or Testing Progress, because we would like it to be a resource for those seeking information on progress in the testing industry. For those of us who have been around for a while, I think we have become too complacent and accepting of how things are and we have somehow forgotten the thrill of how things can be. This type of thinking is not only limiting but a form of self-fulfilling prophecy. We believe there is no change in testing, therefore we don't look for any progress or we doubt it when we stumble upon it. The bottom line is, I think we are in a rut. Some say that we are simply in a mature industry. In fact, I used to be one of them. But now I realize that I was wrong. The only lack of progress was in my own imagination and desire to embrace change. A tough confession to make, but still true.
The truth is, through technology and innovation progress is made regularly to testing and to the surprise of many, the market is not mature but has enormous pent up demand for sophisticated assessment and measurements. Clearly it is not the same game we played in the past - nor should it be. Like my children like to say, "that is so last century". To meet the demand for the 21st century we must embrace a new way of doing business, innovate and move out of our rut. It is happening all around us.
Still stuck in the 20th century? Come join us. Pushing the envelope in the 21st century? Let us know... we would love to share your successes.
Some say it is impossible, we call it progress.
The Value of Online Testing
By David Foster, Ph.D.
The longer I work in the testing industry, the more excited I get about its possibilities. It all started for me in 1982, when I joined WICAT, an organization in Utah with the goal of producing computerized tests to accompany a computerized curriculum for the K-12 market. It was the beginning of my testing career and I was impressed by the potential and promise of computer technology to a field where it seemed that the only recent change had been the introduction of the scanner for scanning and scoring answer sheets.
From those early days onward, it seems I've been constantly involved in numerous extensions of technology to testing-ranging from improving measurement through new item types and unique test designs, to faster methods for developing items and tests and detecting traditional and current security problems.
Most of the time, the innovations had successful outcomes and remained as features of the exams, eventually even becoming an acceptable and standard way exams are developed or administered. Over the years, because of those experiences, my faith in technology as a contributor to the testing industry has only been strengthened.
This leads me to Internet-based or online testing. I've often heard that online testing (testing delivered over the Internet) should be reserved for low-stakes testing such as practice tests, while High-stakes exams, require a traditional testing center, whether that model is paper-based or computer-based.
The main concerns described in conjunction with Internet-based testing are (1) the lack of adequate security and (2) the performance or psychometric capability of the exams. But what if you could address these two issues and use the amazing power and convenience of the Internet for even the highest of High-stakes tests? What if those tests could be administered professionally and had a level of security that exceeds even today's testing center models? Is it even possible?
The advantages of such innovation would lead to a true revolution in testing. Imagine high-quality, large-volume exams delivered to anywhere in the world where people work, learn and perhaps even where they live. With top-tier security measures in place, (such as those from Caveon Test Security), the results would be verifiable as representing those of the proper test taker. Cheating and other forms of test fraud would be very difficult to pull off.
So, what are the specific advantages of such an online testing model?
- Fewer security problems than in today's testing center models, leading to more confidence in the results
- More, and more convenient, places to take High-stakes tests, leading to less time off work or school and increased examinee satisfaction
- Faster distribution of tests and test revisions, leading to more immediate use of tests in a rapidly changing world, and the ability to change test content as needed
- Lower costs to publish and administer tests, leading to more funds available for test improvement, security, or examinee benefits
- More control of a testing program over the testing process, leading to greater satisfaction and less cost for testing program staff
These are the advantages of the Internet and new security measures being intelligently combined and effectively used for a strategic purpose. Just think about your experience with online banking for a moment. For a time, doubt and fear overshadowed the advantages. Now, online banking is a necessity as much as it is a convenience.
For the testing industry, it is not a big stretch to see how those advantages could be realized with the proper innovations and the will to put them in practice. So is online secured testing possible? Yes, it is and it's KRYTERION's goal to make it happen. We're all about progress.
Testing Connections
Here are just some of the things you should know about in the testing industry...
www.caveon.com/resources_news.htm
Newsletter Archive
Client Spotlight
"THANK YOU! Your exam platform has freed up a large amount of my staff's time, it runs smoothly, and it is easy to work with. Your employees are responsive and knowledgeable. Thanks for making it so easy!"
Stephanie Retz
Technical Services Director
InterNational Electrical Testing Association
Where are Your Test Takers?
Challenge:
You've built this amazing and comprehensive certification exam but you're
not receiving the Test Taker registrations that you expected.
Insight:
This is a classic case of 'if you build it, they will take it' thinking.
Unfortunately no matter how valid, reliable or legally defensible your
exam is, if you haven't created awareness and interest in the market for
your certification program then you cannot expect the masses to come
beating down your door. The marketing plan doesn't have to be as long as
a thesis or as complicated as quantum physics. But it should present a
clear road map with specific goals supported by tactics and most
importantly it should identify owners, establish timelines, define how you
will evaluate your efforts and measure success. For example, if your goal
is to receive 10,100 or 500 registrations in a month, quarter or year then
what's your plan for getting there? In addition, you should be looking for
specific strategies tied to your objectives not lofty statements without
direction. Some questions you need to ask yourself include:
- Who is my audience: partners, students, members?
- What is my goal: X registrations or Y downloads by Z date
- How much can I invest?
- Who are the stakeholders?
- Who needs to be involved in the process?
- Who is responsible for implementation and evaluation?
Make sure that each activity is tied to and supported by the other activities. Integrating your activities creates a continuous flow of information to your audience and you stay 'on their minds". If you do prep work your Test Takers can actually take advantage of your certification exams!
It's important to remember that no matter how altruistic your certification program is - it still is a product and every successful product needs a strong marketing plan behind it pushing it to its full potential.
Psychometric Corner
Q - How can I improve the security of my testing program?
A - A simple way to increase the security of your testing program is to require all test takers to enter a test use agreement prior to testing. This puts the test candidate on notice and clearly lays out the ground rules and consequences. This agreement may include topics such as:
- Identification of what constitutes inappropriate testing behavior
- Acknowledgment of possible consequences of allegations of test fraud or theft
- Authorization to collect biometric information for the purposes of personal identification
- Agreement to protect and keep test results confidential But a test use agreement alone is not enough. Yes, It's important that the examinees enter into the agreement, but you need to have the processes and technology in place to enforce what is included in the agreement. Technology, process and controls are crucial ingredients in your security mix. Be wise and look at your entire security plan - from start to finish.
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Please send us your questions, comments or editorial ideas to Quinn Sutton at pr@kryteriononline.com.
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