Computerized Adaptive Testing and the Experience of Flow in Examinees

Abstract

206 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006.In recent years, comparisons between computerized adaptive tests (CAT) and paper-and-pencil tests (P&Ps) have focused less on equivalency and more on the construct validity of shifting between the modalities. Examinee motivation is one area of concern, including test and computer anxiety. One type of motivation, flow, has a characteristic pattern of development similar to the pattern of item selection in CAT. Flow theory posits that positive reinforcement is gained through the sensation of achieving optimal performance. This study attempts to determine whether CAT facilitates flow in examinees, enabling them to perform better than on P&Ps. Covariates like test and computer anxiety, academic achievement, and certain personality traits are taken into account. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare 94 middle-school CAT examinees to 65 middle-school P&P examinees on their responses to the Flow State Scale 2 (FSS-2), and regression modeling revealed a significant interaction between test modality and test anxiety on state flow, and significant effects for trait flow, typical study time, gender, and ethnicity when controlling for other covariates. Significant effects on specific flow dimensions were also found. The effect of flow on test performance was examined, but may have been limited by sample size. Reliability and dimensionality was confirmed for several instruments, some for the first time with an adolescent population: FSS-2, the Dispositional Flow Scale 2, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Test Anxiety Inventory-Short Form, and the Computer Attitude Scale. Interviews with students were also conducted to confirm the validity of measuring flow in testing situations. Implications of the results are discussed.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD