Pros and Cons of Online Testing Tools
Any new technology can present different challenges and offer different assets to users. For the teacher, the decision may be complicated by a limited school budget, concerns about the technology’s reliability and accuracy, and issues with student access to a compatible and functional computer. While there is risk in any change of technology, particularly in something as potentially high-stakes as testing, the rewards to both the student and the teacher can be significant.
Potential Pros for Online Testing Tools
- Automatic grading
- Recycling of test materials
- Online data storage facilitates testing management, eliminating need for storage and increasing the security of test and results through data encryption (Hovland, 2005)
- Students can receive instant feedback
- Basic sites are free
- Improved accessibility for students with disabilities
- Reduction or elimination for the need for a proctor - Frees teacher’s time and resources
- Environmental benefits such as reduced paper usage
- Convenience for students in terms of time and place
- Answer data is compiled for easy analysis
- Natural choice for testing in fully online course
- Automatic formatting of questions and options
- More affordable state testing (Hovland, 2005)
- Reduce result reporting delay to 48 hours (Hovland, 2005)
- Use of computer-adaptive testing (method that provides harder or easier questions based on student response) (Hovland, 2005)
Potential Cons for Online Testing Tools
- Time must be spent for learning the tool
- More difficult to safeguard against cheating
- Fewer types of questions can be asked
- Testing software may be expensive
- Requires an Internet connection
- Requires computer literacy
- Students have varying levels of experience with computers (Hovland, 2005)
- Initial creation of tests may be more complex
- Computers or Internet connection may unreliable during test
- Incompatibilities in browsers can create display problems
- Computer or user error may destroy results
- Limited number of computers in classrooms requires lab use (Hovland, 2005)
- Requires research into online test validity and reliability (Hovland, 2005)
References:
- Hovland, E. (2005, March-April). Online testing - a look into the near future.. Media Methods, 13, Retrieved from www.media-methods.com.