ACARA just published the following information in a newsletter
Our goal is to have all Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students sit the NAPLAN tests in a computer-based environment in May 2016, but we are working with our partners to determine if it is possible to start sooner.
As part of ACARA’s mission to set national expectations through its curriculum, assessment and reporting work, we are working in partnership with Education Services Australia to undertake a rigorous national process and extensive research to inform our work to move to assessment online.
Moving NAPLAN to a computer-based environment involves change while also creating new opportunities for students and teachers that are not possible
with paper-based tests.
One of the main benefits of conducting NAPLAN online will be that the tests will be ‘tailored’. As students progress through the tests sets of questions will be presented to students based on their answers to previous sets of questions. This is expected to improve student engagement with the tests, as higher performing students will be asked more challenging questions and students who find the same questions too challenging will be presented with questions more suited to their abilities. Tailored testing will also provide teachers and schools with more targeted and detailed information on their students’ performance on the tests.
Conducting NAPLAN tests online will involve many, if not all, test items being scored automatically, significantly reducing the time it takes to provide feedback to schools and students and parents.
For more information about the NAP sample program and NAPLAN, visit ACARA’s National Assessment Program website or the ACARA website. Information about NAPLAN online will be progressively added over the coming weeks.
I
also invite you to follow our two Twitter accounts to obtain the latest
news about online assessment and other updates from ACARA via
@ACARA_CEO and @ACARAeduau. We look forward to you joining the
conversation.
