1.4 Impacts


The Test Tool will potentially be able to aid teachers by saving time in making and administering tests in the following ways:
    a.       Questions are taken from an existing question bank, so the teachers are not forced to think up new questions every time they give a new test.
    b.      The tests can be administered on computers, so paper will be conserved.    
    c.       During administration, all students will get exactly the same amount of time to take the test because a machine will be enforcing time constraints.   
    d.      The tool will also help with grading tests, by automatically grading a portion of the test, eliminating human error and saving time.
    e.       In grading long answer questions, teacher will no longer have to decipher students’ messy hand writing, because the answers will be typed.

Students will benefit from the test tool as well.
    a.       Students need not worry about forgetting a pencil, an eraser, or a scantron because the test will be administered on a computer.
    b.      For multiple choice tests, students may appreciate not having to bubble in answers, which are sometimes difficult to erase completely.
    c.       The automatic grading will raise students’ confidence because any bias the teacher has toward the student will be significantly reduced.

The potential negative impacts would include those common to any user-oriented software system.  If the Test Tool is poorly designed and difficult to operate, it will be inconvenient to use and will decrease student confidence instead of raising it.  Some specific negative impacts are as follows.
    a.        Specifically, issues of cheating while taking the test arise.  If the system is poorly designed and students gain access to the internet, they will be able to search for the answers or communicate with each other during the test.  These negative impacts can be avoided through careful design and testing of the tool.
    b.        The fact that the test tool automatically grades tests will make graders obsolete.
    c.        Also, taking the test on a computer can cause eye strain for the student and other computer related health problems such as neck and back pain (Health Guide for the Perplexed).
    d.        If a student’s knowledge and computer skills are limited, this test taking process is more likely to cause more stress.
    e.        Also, if the test was administered on a computer, every student in the class would need their own workstation.  Whereas before, all the student needed was a piece of paper and a pencil to take the test.  This new way of test taking could be very costly for schools, whose budgets are quickly diminishing (CFA Budged Reduction Principals for the California State).
     f.          Unexpected power outages or system failures could prevent the teacher from administering the test as well. 

Unfortunately, even if the Test Tool is implemented perfectly, many of these negative impacts cannot be avoided.