Tests, Quizzes, and Self-evaluation

Feared by learners, discounted by educational ....., short-changed by instructional designers, tests are, nevertheless, an essential element of learning.

We may call them quizzes, drills, examinations, assessments, competence monitors, or demonstrations of mastery; we may ..... them as games or puzzles; yet, they remain an essential ingredient for gauging a learner's progress.

In a study of 400 vocational-technical learners in Pennsylvania, Internet-conducted tests showed no differences in scores, redesign needed, or any ..... due to gender, economic disadvantage or educational disability, relative to the same test on paper.

William Horton Consulting advises that costs for ..... a 100-question paper test to Internet delivery are about $1500 to $2500 USD.

Costs for ..... and scoring the test are $2 USD per test-taker.

One good reason for testing is to let learners ..... progress toward their goals.

One bad reason for testing is to fulfill ..... and expectations: it's a course; therefore, it must have tests.

After a high-level analysis of why you are testing and what you hope to measure, you can make ..... decisions on what kind of test to use.

Some of these decisions will require balancing your ..... objectives against the stark limitations of your authoring tools and the reality of your budget and schedule.

When teaching adults, my preference is to not record scores unless required to certify performance of learners; in general, treating adult learners as responsible, ..... beings yields better results.