In collaboration with the Agency for Education, City of Oslo, the Norwegian Centre for Mathematics Education and Inspera, researchers at the Reading Centre will develop adaptive tests to be used in primary school. This form of assessment adapts to the skill level of the students, provides a more precise picture of each individual student, and gives schools better opportunities for adapted instruction for students on all levels.
Schools are required to implement early intervention for students at risk to fall behind in reading, writing and numeracy. Teachers and school owners have requested an assessment tool that provides better information on the students' skill levels than the current tests can give. The Agency of Education, City of Oslo, has engaged the Reading Centre, the Norwegian Centre for Mathematics Education and Inspera with the aim to develop adaptive assessment tools in reading and numeracy for third grade.
Provides better information about all students
Adaptive assessment tools are digital tests that adapt to the students' skill levels as they go along, give individuall feedback and provide better opportunities for adaptive instruction.
The current mapping tests identify the 20 percent lowest-performing students in reading and numeracy. However, these tests give little information on what the students are struggling with. Neither do the mapping tests give any information on the vast majority of students who complete the test without any remarks
Adaptive tests will give teachers information about all students, and more extensive information about the lowest and highest performing.
The research and development group will strive to ensure that the tests will provide good information about the students, be motivating for the students and useful for the teachers. Leading up to the implementation of the tests in 2021/22, the project group will develop a test framework, speficiations and exercises, develop pilot frameworks and implementation, conduct trials of different models and technical solutions, and explore the experiences of teachers and students.
Funded by the Norwegian Research Council
ADAPTVURDER is one of eight projects funded in the first round of the Norwegian Research Council's programme FORKOMMUNE (Research and Innovation in the Municipal Sector). 78 projects applied for a total of NOK 50 million in the programme. The expert committee and programme board have prioritised high-quality projects that answer to current demands and challenges in the municipal sector.
