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ERIC Number: EJ842563
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0040-0599
EISSN: N/A
Using Technology to Create and Administer Accessible Tests
Salend, Spencer
TEACHING Exceptional Children, v41 n3 p40-51 Jan-Feb 2009
Technology is transforming many aspects of society including the ways teachers teach and students learn. Although technology has been firmly established as a teaching tool across a range of content areas, educators are realizing that technology also offers innovative ways to help their students take standardized tests that comply with the mandates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and teacher-made tests that assess the outcomes of classroom instruction. These educators are recognizing that an essential aspect of helping all students access instruction and participate in testing programs is the use of universal design for learning (UDL), which refers to designing flexible curriculum, teaching, and testing materials and strategies that are easily used to promote and assess the learning of all students. Although UDL has been used primarily to differentiate instruction, its principles also can be incorporated into testing via the use of technology. Integrating the principles of UDL into technology-based testing allows for the development and administration of testing materials that are accessible to students who have a wide range of ability levels and testing preferences by providing multiple ways to: (a) create accessible testing materials that promote readability, speed, clarity, understanding and motivation; (b) present test directions and items to students; (c) allow students to respond to test items; and (d) minimize students' test-taking errors. In light of the potential and advantages of technology-based testing, this article provides educators with guidelines, strategies, and resources for using technology to create and administer tests that are accessible to all students. The article also identifies concerns related to the use of technology-based testing as well as strategies for addressing them. Although these guidelines and resources are presented in the context of educators working in schools, they can be employed by test makers and state education department personnel to create and administer alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards for use with students who do not have significant cognitive disabilities but whose disabilities affect their ability to achieve grade-level proficiency in the same timeframe as their classmates without disabilities. (Contains 2 figures.)
Council for Exceptional Children. 1110 North Glebe Road Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201. Tel: 888-232-7733; Fax: 703-264-9494; e-mail: cecpubs@cec.sped.org; Web site: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Publications1
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A