On Computerized Adaptive Testing

A good example of Computerized Adaptive Testing is the GRE exam.

It used to be adaptive on a question-by-question basis, but it was re-developed in 2011 to be adaptive on a section-by-section basis.  Ref: http://www.ets.org/gre/institutions/scores/how/

I think CAT makes summative assessment more efficient, but I think that it has tremendous potential to “personalize” formative assessment, where the computer adapts to the learner as they arelearning….so that when the learner stumbles it can go more slowly, or even back up to correct a previous misunderstanding…..and when the learner is “on a roll” and learning quickly, the computer can skip the easy questions and jump right to the most challenging ones!

Set up correctly, CAT could be the perfect one-on-one teaching tutor, who always knows what to do, and is always ready to help you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Look at how good Amazon is at “based on what book you have chosen, what other books you might be interested in”!

Another example of adaptive computerized presentation is Google Now, which constantly monitors your inputs, emails and searches, and recommends all sorts of things, like the fastest route to drive home, or what restaurants you would like that are nearby to where you are now!