Rationale for Construction of Microcomputer-Based Evaluation Subsytems

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use the microcomputer to extend the notion of evaluation to establish and improve the reliability and validity of an evaluation instrument. A computerized testing program collected performance data of both students and the evaluation instrument at the local level. The study was conducted in two cycles. In the first cycle potentially flawed items were identified, removed from the test pool, and then examined by the instructional staff. The faulty items were revised by the instructional staff and reinserted in the test pool. In Cycle 2 of the study, the entire test pool was readministered. Of the 34 flagged items in Cycle 1, 20 items fell within the acceptable range during Cycle 2. An added benefit to these revisions was that the mean score for each of the six behavioral objectives reflected by the test pool increased, while the standard deviation for each objective decreased. In addition to the discussion of this process in terms of reliability and validity, a discussion of the use of microcomputers as a means of facilitating this evaluation and redesign process is also given.

Keywords:

• evaluation
• testing
• instructional computing