Student Response to Technology Enhanced Questions (TEQ) in Standardized Testing
As educators, we are constantly preparing our students for the next challenge. Many times, those challenges are in the form of standardized tests. Standardized tests have evolved from paper and pencil to online testing. Online testing has changed the fundamental format, and interaction students have with the content. These new types of test questions are called Technology Enhanced Questions (TEQ).
TEQs are not the same as paper and pencil tests students in the past have taken. They are much more demanding of student interaction like a video game, and educators cannot use the same techniques for teaching test taking skills such as process of elimination.
Some of the issues students face when taking the test are screen size. At times, they have to take a test on an economic desktop, or laptop, and the screen may only be 14.5 inches. The questions can consume a very wide portion of the screen. Additionally, students may not realize they need to scroll down to see the complete text.
Younger readers are especially surprised to discover the text for a question can be on as many as three pages.
TEQs can have multiple correct answers. Previous tests would provide answers with four or five choices, and usually one or two correct answers. With TEQs, it is more common to have multiple correct answers. Students cannot use process of elimination. They must know the correct answer(s).
Students do not interact with the tools on some standardized tests until the test. If possible, students will have an opportunity to take a pre-test, or practice test and educators should have students take full advantage of that time to practice. Students who are accustomed to using highlighting, or tools to “mark-up the text,” often have no tools to do so in TEQs.
Often times, the standardized test is not in line with what the students are being taught at that time. Students might be learning Pythagorean Theorem next week, but are taking the standardized test on those skills this week.
Besides the amount of time it takes to set-up the technology for each student, the TEQs add time to standardized testing. In order to take a twenty question middle school math test, it takes a proficient math teacher nearly two hours to completely work the problem to answer all the different answer choices, and students may only have one hour. This does not account for students who receive extended time such as English as a New Language (ENL) students, or students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP.)
Using Airslates, or Smartboards with the protractor, compass, or rulers in instruction is one method for familiarizing students with tools available on TEQ questions. Educators can also provide questions with multiple correct answers. Many students are working on improving reading skills, but they also need reading stamina to complete TEQs. Offering 10-20 minutes of voluntary sustained silent reading periodically is one technique to improve reading stamina.
In summary, as educators are planning for students who will be taking standardized testing using TEQs in the future, we have new considerations to make in our teaching and planning. With this knowledge, and the creativeness of educators, we can develop new test taking skills to help prepare students for the testing environment as presented by TEQ style tests.
Written by Christina Shepard
