Implementing an Adaptive Testing Program in an Instructional Programs Environment

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss some of the problems presented by the use of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) in an instructional programs environment versus large scale testing applications, and to describe an actual implementation of CAT in an instructional programs setting. This particular application is in the Electronic Technicians "A" (ETA) school at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois. The goals of implementing CAT at this site were to increase test security, improve the efficiency of the testing program, and improve the quality of measurement yielded by the testing program. The problems encountered by this CAT program include the unknown dimensionality of the tests, the small number of available items for the item pools, and the availability of item response data only for small samples. The overall design of the project includes four phases: (1) preliminary analyses and software design; (2) implementation of a computer-administered conventional test; (3) implementation of a dual testing program (conventional and CAT); and (4) elimination of the conventional testing program. If the results are positive, this project will demonstrate that adaptive testing can effect improvement in classroom testing. (Author/BW)