Recently my county and the state has been pushing online testing. Our SOL science test is online this year and we field tested the 5th grade writing test online as well (after we took it paper and pencil). We also took our third quarter E-cart tests online (County benchmark test). I have mixed feelings about these online assessments. It is very nice and easy to take the test online. It is also nice to have the results immediately and not have to grade them by hand. At the same time the immediate results can be discouraging to a student that did not do so well. Especially if that student studied and tried their best. For example a few of my students were very upset with themselves after they saw their math test score for the E-cart. The E-cart test was challenging and there were a few questions that we have not taught yet. It was unfortunate that we took the math test first and the reading the next day. Some of the students were discouraged and did not try as hard on the reading test. At least the SOL's do not give you immediate results.
Since next year all the SOL's and E-carts will be online, we have been encouraged to give our own online assessments. I have been creating and giving my science unit tests online using Horizons, which is the same system that creates the E-cart. Once again it has been nice to get results immediately and not have to grade them by hand. It has also been nice to not have to copy 27 tests. However I find it difficult to report the results to parents. The students and parents can view the results on our blackboard site. Not all parents take this extra step and some parents do not have the ability to check blackboard.
My other gripe about all the online testing is that it takes up valuable computer lab time. It was impossible to get in to the computer lab the last two weeks before spring break because of all the E-cart testing. It is also going to be impossible to get in to the lab during the two week window for SOLs. My fifth graders have a Global Awareness Technology Project to complete and this is going to be quite the challenge if we are missing the technology. If the state and the county want us to use technology to assess, then they need to provide more technology
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