Online Testing: Security and Applications

Web 2.0 and Testing

2009-03-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

I think that social media is going to change all the rule about testing. Besides the obvious, psychometric reliability, validity and legal defensibility who is the "authority" or subject matter experts? Who should the certifying body be? In the world of Web 2.0 the is much more emphasis on group opinion than top-down thinking. Doesn't that change who should decide what goes in a certification exam then? The implications are staggering. Who is in charge of authorized content? Look at Wikipedia as an example... this mysterious body of experts declares what is relevant, what needs citations etc. And its all self governed. If we think that this trend will not affect testing we are kidding ourselves.

Security, Biometrics, Identity Authentication

2009-03-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

In a world where identity theft is a painful reality, we all have to become more educated on these and other related issues. Is is fair to require online students to "prove" who they are when if the same student were participating in a traditional brick-and-mortar class we would only take them on their word while calling attendance role? Technology continues to push us into uncomfortable areas. Are webcams an invasion of privacy? Is biometric enrollment really an different than your bank asking for some for of ID? I am not sure. But I am sure that we will see more and more discussion, requirements and even abuses of security, biometrics and identity authentication. This is particularly important in the high-stakes testing field. Are paper-based more secure? I do not think so, but we are just more comfortable with them and dare I say the ways of cheating (writing the answers on your arm, peeking a neighbors answer sheet etc.) Technology makes testing more convenient and hopefully more cost effective. But it presents new ways to try and beat the system. Our job is to stay one step ahead of them.

Why are we so stuck to brick and mortar?

2009-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

I understand why we have used brick and mortar testing for so many years - we had no viable alternatives. But now with innovations in technology it is so much better, secure, affordable etc. yet why do we stick to the past so zealously. I know change can be scary, but really. Paper-based testing in the 21st century for large scale assessements, certification, licensure, or even entrance exams... it does not have to be hard.

Marketing and Online Testing

2009-02-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

What role does marketing play and important role in Online Testing? YES. I think that generally people do not understand that online testing can really be secure. It is also very green. Isn't that an important messasage to get out?

Online Testing = Green?

2009-01-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

Is online testing green? I think so although some would argue that the actual manufacturing of the computer and its current lack of adequate recycling makes computers a marginally green technology. But unless you are riding your bike or driving your electric car to a testing center to take a computerized test it is clear that testing where you live learn and work is more green that driving to an testing center for a single purpose, by yourself.

Is the world flat yet?

2009-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Web 2.0, Social networking, Twitter, Skype, RSS feeds, key word density, 24/7 Broadband WiFi connectivity etc. etc. etc. So now what do we do with it? Will Web 2.0 change the way we teach, learn and test people? I think it might. When subject matter experts are no longer employees of the test sponsor but live in the cyber cloud who determines test objectives? Who decides who qualifies. Even Web 2.0 environments have pecking orders and "authorities". The rules of engagement are different though. It seems to me it is a good time for us to rethink things and embrace change.

Nothing must be happening

2009-01-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

OK, I admit it. Its been a while - call it blogger guilt. But I am not used to telling you about "what I am doing now" as my new Facebook account urges. Sorry, I guess I am old school that way. Not used to sharing every thought with the faceless universe. But that does not mean nothing has happened worth talking about (re-enter bloggers guilt - oh and there's new years resolution guilt too), actually a lot has been happening in the field of online testing. The jury has come back and said that online testing is secure - yet many are unconvinced. Maybe they are just in another classroom in my same old school... hmm. Technology is only as good as we apply it - and when it actually works of course. But the notion that online testing technology cannot create secure tests is, well, uhm, a little outdated. Whether we use it or not, tests delivered online can be secure and (gasp) even high-stakes. Wow, so why do we hold on to the way things have always been? Is there really security in stagnation? I wonder.

New Year's Resolutions - no more paper!

2007-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy year and now with 2007 upon us, I wonder what we can expect. Will this be the year that we abondone our dependency on paper? Will this be the year we the existing technology to make testing easier, less expensive and more convenient? Only time will tell.

Happy New Year!

Join the Rest of us in the 21st Century

2006-06-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is an open invitation to all those who are current paper-based test advocates to join the rest of us in the 21st Century. We live in a dynamic, technologically evolving world and it is time for change.

When I was young, I was the "remote control" to change channels for our single family TV. Today, my kids do not even know how to change the channel manually and if I am not mistaken on certain models of TVs you cannot even change the channels manually without a remote control! Heresy you say? I do not think so, I think it is just progress.

So, maybe we have embraced the reality of remote controls as a necessary and even advantageous component or our daily lives but where else might we be clinging to the past? Hmmm could it be in the testing area?

I recently heard a prominent test sponsor state, "we have always delivered our tests on paper and we will NEVER change." Too bad. I am sure they had their reasons, but I must ask what could drive a person to such an extreme statement? Cost? Security? Fear of the unknown?
Until recently cost and security might have been legitimate issues but those have been largely addressed though advances in technology. So I am left with "fear of the unknown" as the remaining possible rationale for a "never change mentality". Too bad. I actually prefer to change my channels using a remote - I am sure my children appreciate it.

Is Brick and Mortar Testing a Thing of the Past?

2006-04-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering what the fate of the traditional brick and mortar testing model we have created will be? With the advent of secure internet testing the need for a physical site seems to be eroding somewhat. It seems like as the testing stations become more secure, the need for a secure location is somewhat diminished. Again, the banking industry comes to mind. With the advent of ATM's much of my banking is conducted outside the physical bank locations. I even conduct banking transactions from a secure portal online - at home. Have the banks gone away? No yet, but the access to my financial information and my ability to control my finances is greatly increased since I no longer have to go to a physical location to conduct my affairs. They same thing is happening with testing. I do not believe the traditional brick and mortar testing centers will ever completely go away but it seems clear that additional testing stations (like ATM's) and even secure online testing will revolutionize our current testing paradigms.

Secure Online Testing - Oxymoron?

2006-03-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

With the advent of internet, many have explored its application in testing environments. But somehow we get stuck in the mindset that if a test is delivered via the internet it cannot be secure or that we are "giving up" something. I wonder if this is same mindset that could not imagine ATM's ever supplementing and in many cases replacing traditional banks with live tellers. What about online banking? Is that not a useful tool in our daily lives? I believe that the biggest obstacle to secure online testing is not the technology but our own limiting beliefs. If the technology is secure enough for online financial transactions then why not secure, online testing for even high-stakes exams?