How can EdTech improve assessment validity and reliability?

1 What is validity and reliability?

Validity and reliability are two key concepts that determine the quality of an assessment. Validity refers to how well an assessment measures what it is intended to measure, and how well it aligns with the learning objectives, outcomes, and standards. Reliability refers to how consistent and accurate an assessment is, and how well it minimizes errors and biases. Both validity and reliability are essential for ensuring that the assessment results are meaningful, fair, and useful for informing learning and teaching decisions.

3 How can EdTech improve reliability?

EdTech can improve reliability by automating or streamlining some of the assessment processes, such as scoring, grading, reporting, or analyzing, that can be prone to human errors or inconsistencies. For example, EdTech can use artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), or natural language processing (NLP) to score or grade objective or subjective assessments, such as multiple-choice questions, short answers, or essays, based on predefined criteria or models. EdTech can also generate instant or timely feedback, reports, or dashboards that can provide learners and educators with accurate and actionable information on their performance, progress, or gaps. Furthermore, EdTech can increase the reliability of assessments by ensuring their security, accessibility, and adaptability, by using encryption, authentication, or proctoring features, by complying with universal design principles or accessibility standards, and by adjusting the difficulty or content of assessments according to learners' needs or levels.

4 What are some challenges of using EdTech for assessment?

Despite the potential benefits of using EdTech for assessment, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed. One of the challenges is the technical and pedagogical readiness of learners and educators to use EdTech for assessment effectively and efficiently. This requires adequate training, support, and resources to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to use EdTech for assessment. Another challenge is the ethical and legal implications of using EdTech for assessment, such as the privacy, security, and ownership of assessment data, the validity and reliability of automated scoring or grading systems, and the fairness and equity of assessment outcomes. These require clear policies, guidelines, and standards to ensure the ethical and legal use of EdTech for assessment.

5 What are some best practices and tools for using EdTech for assessment?

In order to take advantage of EdTech for assessment, educators and learners should plan and design assessments with EdTech in mind, considering learning objectives, outcomes, and standards, as well as the assessment formats, methods, and modes that best suit the learning and teaching goals and contexts. It's also important to use reliable, valid, secure, accessible, and adaptable EdTech tools that provide features and functions that support the assessment processes. Examples of such tools are Google Forms, Kahoot, Quizlet, Socrative, Edpuzzle, Flipgrid, Seesaw, or Padlet. In addition to this, feedback should be collected on the use of EdTech for assessment by engaging learners and educators in self-assessment or peer-assessment. This data can be analyzed to improve the learning and teaching outcomes and experiences.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?