Featured in Credentialing Insights, the online journal for the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.)., John Hosterman, Chief of Accessibility and Disability Services at Paradigm Testing, and Maria Incrocci, SVP of Assessment Development & Psychometrics at Meazure Learning, are joined by Bill West, EVP of Business Development at Global Skills X-Change (GSX), to discuss Innovative Assessment Strategies: Are They Accessible to Test-takers With Disabilities?
The assessment industry has undergone several exciting changes over the past decade. One of the most significant is the increase in utilization of “innovative item types,” or technology-enhanced items. Rather than relying entirely on multiple-choice items and simple graphs and charts, some test publishers have opted to develop interactive test items that may better measure critical skills while being more realistic to test-takers.
Early in this revolution, “innovative” meant items that included “drag-and-drop” (e.g. move graphics to targets on the screen), “hotspot” items (e.g. click on the graphic) and items that included reference materials or other supplementary information that could be shown via tabs on the screen. Newer innovative item types include video-based items (e.g., watching a practitioner-client interaction), video simulations and items including multiple additional charts, graphs, reference materials and case-study materials. While all these changes and enhancements may be positive developments from the perspective of test-taker engagement, they present new barriers to test-takers with disabilities. How can we ensure tests are still accessible to everyone?
WHAT’S INSIDE:
- What Is Accessibility and Why Does It Matter?
- How Does Accessibility Relate to Universal Design?
- Accessible Testing: Considerations and Strategies
- Psychometric Considerations
- Test Delivery and Security Considerations
- Takeaways
To review the complete Innovative Assessment Strategies article, or more information about the authors, please visit Credentialing Insights.