Ling Guangming, Attali Yigal, Finn Bridgid, Stone Elizabeth A
Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, USA.
Appl Psychol Meas. 2017 Oct;41(7):495-511. doi: 10.1177/0146621617707556. Epub 2017 May 15.
Computer adaptive tests provide important measurement advantages over traditional fixed-item tests, but research on the psychological reactions of test takers to adaptive tests is lacking. In particular, it has been suggested that test-taker engagement, and possibly test performance as a consequence, could benefit from the control that adaptive tests have on the number of test items examinees answer correctly. However, previous research on this issue found little support for this possibility. This study expands on previous research by examining this issue in the context of a mathematical ability assessment and by considering the possible effect of immediate feedback of response correctness on test engagement, test anxiety, time on task, and test performance. Middle school students completed a mathematics assessment under one of three test type conditions (fixed, adaptive, or easier adaptive) and either with or without immediate feedback about the correctness of responses. Results showed little evidence for test type effects. The easier adaptive test resulted in higher engagement and lower anxiety than either the adaptive or fixed-item tests; however, no significant differences in performance were found across test types, although performance was significantly higher across all test types when students received immediate feedback. In addition, these effects were not related to ability level, as measured by the state assessment achievement levels. The possibility that test experiences in adaptive tests may not in practice be significantly different than in fixed-item tests is raised and discussed to explain the results of this and previous studies.
计算机自适应测试相较于传统的固定项目测试具有重要的测量优势，但缺乏关于考生对自适应测试心理反应的研究。特别是，有人提出考生的参与度，以及可能由此带来的测试表现，可能会受益于自适应测试对考生正确回答的测试项目数量的控制。然而，此前关于这个问题的研究几乎没有支持这种可能性的证据。本研究通过在数学能力评估的背景下考察这个问题，并考虑对回答正确性的即时反馈对测试参与度、测试焦虑、任务时间和测试表现的可能影响，对先前的研究进行了扩展。中学生在三种测试类型条件（固定、自适应或更简单的自适应）之一的情况下完成了数学评估，并且要么有要么没有关于回答正确性的即时反馈。结果几乎没有显示出测试类型的影响。与自适应测试或固定项目测试相比，更简单的自适应测试导致了更高的参与度和更低的焦虑；然而，尽管当学生收到即时反馈时，所有测试类型的表现都显著更高，但在不同测试类型之间没有发现表现上的显著差异。此外，这些影响与通过州评估成绩水平衡量的能力水平无关。本文提出并讨论了自适应测试中的测试体验在实际中可能与固定项目测试没有显著差异的可能性，以解释本研究和先前研究的结果。
