april 12, 2005 administering language placement exams using blackboard: lessons learned paul carson...
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April 12, 2005
ADMINISTERING LANGUAGE PLACEMENT EXAMS USING BLACKBOARD: LESSONS LEARNED
Paul CarsonRaf CzapskiKat Broadwater
Kat Broadwater: Classrooms Coordinator
Paul Carson: Blackboard Facilitator
Raf Czapski: Technical Coordinator
Our Blackboard System:
Blackboard Learning System 6.1
ASP Hosted
Integrated with Banner 6.2
Nightly Snapshot
Why did we do it?
• Student feedback: “NSO sucks!”
• Enhance first year student experience
• Improve student retention
• Reduce administrative overhead
Problems with NSO
• 250 students per week for 10 weeks
• 125 students per day
• 9 Languages
Language exam bottleneck
=
Can we use technology to help improve NSO?
Simultaneous Objectives
Streamline NSO Process
and
Preserve Assessment Value
Preserve Assessment Value
High audio quality
High quality written text
Accurate use of Language
Limited audio control
Security
Building the Exam
Raf Czapski
What was needed for high audio quality?
• Audio engineer
• Audio program -Sound Forge
What was needed for high quality written text & accurate language?
• Blackboard test builder
• Faculty
What was needed to limit audio control?
• Multimedia expert
• Macromedia Director MX
What was needed to limit audio control?
What was needed to secure the test environment?
• IT personnel
• Group policies
• Batch scripts
• Securexam Browser
IP Address of host workstation
Workstation name
What was needed to secure the test environment?
What was needed to secure the test environment?
Administering the Exam
Kat Broadwater
Simultaneous Objectives
Streamline NSO Process
and
Preserve Assessment Value
What was needed to Streamline the NSO process?
Scheduling Exams
Integrated Creation
vs
Manual Creation
Administering the Exam:What is required?
• Resources and Equipment
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Setup Team :
Lab Technicians
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Ringleader
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Lab Technicians & Peer Counselors
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Blackboard Administrator
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Administering the Exam:What is required?
Smooth Login process
What was needed to streamline the NSO process?
• Blackboard
• fast, easy grading
Stumbling blocks
• Power outages
• Load problems using Blackboard 5
• Operator error
• DO NOT CLICK “SUBMIT” AGAIN!
Stumbling blocks
• Power outages
• Load problems using Blackboard 5
• Operator error
• DO NOT CLICK “SUBMIT” AGAIN!
Assessment and Outcomes
Paul Carson
What we accomplished
Consistency
Quality
Accuracy
Control
Security
Speed
What we accomplished
Introduced Incoming Students to:
Labs
Lab Assistants
Blackboard Learning System
Securexam
What we accomplished
Relieved Orientation Chaos.
Where are we going with this?
• Non-Roman character languages
• All language proficiency exams
• Math exams
Takeaways
Start Early
Get Faculty Buy-in
Test – Rehearse – Test – Rehearse
Organize student groups by language
Don’t ever let the students get bored
Did it work?
• Administrative benefit – Immediate
• Student feedback – Very positive
• Retention benefit?
