EDUC 606
Discussion Board Forum 4 - Variables Impacting Test Design
Group variability, scoring reliability, test length and item difficulty all affect test score reliability;
discuss how each of these variables impacts test design and how you might mitigate those
impacts.
Testing is an important part of the education system. The result of providing teachers with the
necessary information they need to making objective decisions. Clearly, "Tests tell teachers,
EDUC 500
Discussion Board Forum 4 – Web resources
Integrating technology into the classroom is a very helpful aid in the classroom. “When all
students have Internet access at home; teachers can confidently assign homework that takes
advantage of technology.” (Slavin, 2015 p. 240) Students love being online and connected to the
internet. There are tons of educational websites that teachers can utilize for review, clarification
and homework. “Behold, the people are one, and they have all one language; and this they
begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” (1
Corinthians 10:31) So with God’s blessing, here are my top 5 web resources.
www.brainpop.com - I really like this website. Brain pop is a great resource to use
because it provides an excellent review and clarification on a variety of topics. It covers most
subjects like History, Science, and English/Literature. It is good about engaging student’s
attentions. The videos can be humorous and serious when needed.
www.IXL.com - This is an excellent website for English and Math. It provides an
explanation part area of interest and per grade level. It provides practice and students can earn
points/prizes as an incentive as well. There is no limit or maximum you can use it for practice.
Many teachers will use it after they have cover a certain topic. Student’s will need to reach 80%
accuracy in order to be finished. This enables the teacher to see if the students have an
understanding of the material. Teachers can also go online to review the student’s progress.
www.coolmath.com - This is a good math website. It is for math only but provides lots
of extra practice for students at home and during down time. The kids really like this side
because it is more game oriented. I like to see it used as a reward for completing more
important assignments.
www.khanacademy.com - This is also a good math website. It provides lessons and lots
of practice. It’s also free, and everyone can appreciate that. It has “an elaborate system of
awards and badges rewards students’ progress. Programs like this make the teachers job a lot
easier.
students, and parents how students are doing in school" (Slavin, 2015 p.348) Results can vary,
but they are important to consider when selecting the right tests.
Test reliability is group variability. Heterogeneous groups have all different types of students
that have varying abilities. Some will do well and have higher scores than others. Those scores
have a certain amount of variability and the scores for the test will also vary. In a homogenous
group – the students will have similar abilities and the scores will most likely be higher. These
types of results make the validity coefficient unreliable. To mitigate this, I would reevaluate
they type of test I choose and pick something more appropriate for the students who are going
to be taking the test.
Scoring reliability can determine the reliability of assessment. True or False, and multiple choice
questions are more reliable, but that usually depends on the test taker. Essay tests are harder
to score. Blind scoring can help reduce the unreliable and possible bias of this type of
assessment. Depending on what grades you are teaching will determine the amount of essay
type test you
will give, in general, I will use them sparingly.
Test length can also have an affect the reliability and validity of a test. When tests are too long,
students can lose focus or even feel overwhelmed. But, if a test is too short, it will not give the
teacher enough information to determine if the students have an understanding of the
material.
Item difficulty can have a large impact on test reliability. "As items become very easy or very
hard, the test score reliability goes down."(Kubiszyn & Borich, 2016). A well-prepared test will
have the right amount of difficulty. If you see that certain questions are too difficult it is good
to, not penalize students for answering the questions wrong; also if the item is to easy it is good
to remove it from the assessment. As with many things we should seek Gods guidance and
wisdom while preparing or researching assessments for our students. “Plans are established by
seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance” (Proverbs 20:18)
