Engaging Authenticity: Incorporating Relevant Technology in Formative Assessment

Description: Test takers want real-world experiences, relevant content, and authenticity in assessment, utilizing technology that they encounter in their everyday lives. With many organizations embracing formative assessment as part of their continuing competency programs, the opportunity to incorporate authentic experiences in assessment is more achievable than ever before. As a test sponsor, you want to engage your examinees and meet their expectations through testing experiences but face a novel, and at times, complex and challenging, path to implementation.

During this presentation, we will consider approaches to assessment that support successful outcomes and promote long-term examinee engagement with relevant and authentic testing experiences. Specifically longitudinal assessment and the use of games and gamification within testing programs will be discussed. We will draw upon real-world examples of how exam sponsors have successfully integrated innovative formative approaches into their assessment programs and explore when these solutions may (and may not) be appropriate for a testing program.

We will also provide an overview of some challenges adopters should be prepared to face along the way, discuss these challenges from both assessment provider and employing organization perspectives, propose solutions to mitigate the impact of those challenges, and open discussion of how the assessment community can better foster inclusion of innovative technologies in assessment.

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