Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) is another option in the world of assessments.

Theory:

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is the redesign of psychological and educational measuring instruments for delivery by interactive computers. CAT can be used for tests of ability or achievement and for measures of personality and attitudinal variables. Its objective is to select, for each examinee, the set of test questions from a pre-calibrated item bank that simultaneously most effectively and efficiently measures that person on the trait. (http://iacat.org/what-is-cat)

A student sits down to take a CAT and as the students takes the test the next questions is determined by if the pevious answer was correct or not. If the answer was right, then the next question is more difficult. If the question is wrong, the next question will be easier or the same level as the previous question. The test has a pre-determined bank of questions with varying difficulties. The first computer Adaptive Test was Binet IQ test.

The basic principle of adapting a test to each examinee was recognized in the very early days of psychological measurement, even before the development of the standardized conventional paper-and-pencil test, by Alfred Binet in the development of the Binet IQ test (Binet & Simon, 1905) which later was published as the Stanford-Binet IQ Test. Binet’s test was comprised of sets of test items normed by chronological age level. (http://iacat.org/what-is-cat)

1. It uses a pre-calibrated bank of test items. Binet selected items for each age level if approximately 50% of the children at that age level answered an item correctly. Thus, in the original version of the test, there were sets of items at ages from three years through 11 years. All of these items constituted "Binet’s item bank" for his adaptive test.

2. It is individually administered by a trained psychologist and is designed to “probe” for the level of difficulty (i.e., chronological age) that is most appropriate for each examinee, much as hurdle-jumping probes for the performance level of each athlete.

3. It has a variable starting option. The Binet test is begun by the administrator based on her/his best guess about the examinee’s likely ability level (typically the examinee’s chronological age, but it can be lower or higher if there is information to inform such a starting level).

4. It use a defined scoring method – a set of items at a given age level is administered and immediately scored by the administrator. (http://iacat.org/what-is-cat)

These are some of the guidelines set back in 1905. Testing is not purely based on age now, and the topics can be very specific and the topic can be anything from math to systems in the body. The range of information that can be assessed from CAT is very wide and is used in a lot of different fields today.

Applications:

Computer Based Testing is a good way to start a course with a baseline of information, test again midterm and then final assessment. At each level as an instructor you have the opportunity to teach each student on the items they were weaker on and strengthen stronger skills. It also gives the opportunity to pair students up so they are able to assist actively in the learning process of each other.

There are many examples of CAT testing being used outside of edcuation. They have practical uses in medicine and even customer service.

In contrast to traditional ‘static’ surveys in which the same questions are asked of everyone regardless of their answers, CAT surveys make it possible to individualized each assessment so that only the most informative questions are asked of each person at their particular level of health. The union of Item response theory (IRT) and CAT technologies offers a timely solution to meeting the challenges of more practical tools for assessing health status. CAT may yield much greater precision, as required to meaningfully interpret a score at the individual patient level, over a wide range of health levels. (John E. Ware Jr, 2003)

Being able to ask individual questions to each person will allow for more detailed information to be given back to the whomever is looking and using that data. The data that CAT test provides has proved useful in many different fields.

An example in the classroom would be if you are a Math teacher, you give the students a CAT on fractions, this will give you a baseline of where your students are with this concept. Following the CAT one on one meeting with the students to go over answers and you will be able to tailor lessons plans and homework to what each student needs.

Strength and Weakness

As with all things there are pros and cons to Computer Adaptive Testing and depending on how you are using the test will also define what is a pro and a con.

With each examinee receiving a different set of questions, there can be perceived inequities.This is why it is essential that every test-taker be administered enough items to insure that their final estimate is unassailably reasonable. (Linacre, 2000)

One weakness of the CAT is that if every student is taking a different test how can it be fair. As stated above it is important to make sure the bank of questions is large enough to ensure that each person taking the assessment is given enough questions to make a fair assessment.

Another con is due to the test being computer based that can cause a problem for lower-income school districts and those people who are not 100% comfortable with computers. It add stress and uncertainty the students taking the test.

Some of the positive aspects of the CAT is the length of the test and the ability put an assessment together quickly. Because students don't have to wait for each other to finish or move ahead there is less time spent being idle. Once a student gets enough correct or wrong the test will end.

Another positive is the results are instant and available to the teacher and the students. The teacher selects the questions, this way all the questions are relevent to the students.

In Action:

The below link shows how companies are taking the CAT to different levels. Compaianes are creating entire adpative learning enviroments. 

http://www.educationdive.com/news/adaptive-learning-the-best-approaches-weve-seen-so-far/187875

This link includes some of the better CAT platforms around.

2. SMART SPARROW

http://youtu.be/v-pwux7bI9o

Sparrow's adaptive e-learning platform is being used as far from home as Arizona State University. The company spun out of the University of New South Wales' Adaptive eLearning Research Group and offers interactive, adaptive quizzes and simulations. One study in a mechanics course at UNSW showed it to reduce failure rates from 31% to 7%, so we can't see it not spreading further at this point.

Computer adaptive testing is just the beginning. As seen in the link above companies are creating computer adaptive learning environments which will open up a whole new world of access to people to gain knowledge and reinforce the knowledge they are gaining day to day in the class room.