New Guidelines for Technology-Based Assessment from ITC/ATP
New Guidelines for Technology-Based Assessment Available on ATP website
— John Weiner, Co-editor, Chief Science Officer, PSI Services
"Online learning and digital assessments have increased exponentially since 2020, and so it is with great pleasure that I can announce such a robust industry response to a trend that is likely going to continue on an upward trajectory and that will impact learners around the globe," said ATP CEO William G. Harris, Ph.D. commenting on the release of the guidelines that are now publicly available on the White Papers/Guidelines page of the ATP website.
In the Introduction to the eleven-chapter Guidelines document, Co-editors, John Weiner, Chief Science Officer, PSI Services and Stephen Sireci, Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst wrote: "The Guidelines for Technology Based Assessment are the result of a multi-year collaboration by the Association of Test Publishers (ATP) and the International Test Commission (ITC) to fill a pressing need – to provide guidance and best practices for the design, delivery, scoring and use of digital assessments, while ensuring validity, fairness, accessibility, security, and privacy. Various other testing standards and guideline documents are available; however, this document is unique in its comprehensive discussion of issues addressed regarding the use of technology in assessment."
The document is divided into four parts. The first part describes the background, purpose, and approach to developing the Guidelines, and outlines key related documents and references. In the second part, foundational concepts in measurement are discussed, such as validity, fairness, reliability and the need to manage against threats to measurement that may be introduced in technology-based assessment.
Part three contains the actual Guidelines, which are divided into 11 chapters, including an introduction and discussion of important considerations followed by guideline statements, which in many cases include commentary to explain and illustrate the application of the guidelines.
Finally, part four provides a discussion of emerging applications of technology in assessment that are rapidly evolving and for which it is anticipated that best practices and guidelines will be developed in the near future.
"The vision is for this document to be a living document that will be continuously re-visited and updated as technology expands, and challenges present themselves," Weiner commented, noting that both ATP and ITC will continue to monitor the assessment landscape. "Under advisement from a standing Guidelines Committee, we will make adjustments and potentially even add chapters as innovation expands the capabilities of e-learning," Weiner concluded.
Lauren Scheib
Association of Test Publishers
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