Assess all in 6 minutes.

Testing students can take a relatively long time from the delivery of the test, marking and analysis of the results. With e-asTTle making inroads, how can we best shape tests for ourselves and create them across the curriculum areas? Is is really possible to get significant data and analyse it within 10 minutes? The answer is yes: read on.

A website that enables the teacher to create a test, set parameters like the amount of time allowed to complete the test and initiate it to the children has been created and is guaranteed to be 100% free in the future.

This web 2.0 site is called that thatquiz.org. This website markets itself as 'The most accessible math test resource on the web today with over 6 million graded exams to date and over 300,000 participating students.' Certainly a large number of test papers to mark by any account!



Upon deeper investigation into the web-based application is appeared to be written by Andrew Lyczak. This man's credentials include designing web-based applications using Java, Perl, HTML, AJAX, and Javascript.

The websites belief is simple and straight to the point: 'What we don't believe in: Games, advertising, fees, spam or gimmicks.'

So, how does it work? Firstly you can begin with two options. Create your own test from scratch or load up a test someone else has written, change it around a bit and then give it to your class. Each child has a login and can set their own password. Since you are the administrator, you can reset these or set your own password for the children.

Once the quiz has been accepted, the student can then go through it and complete the questions. Finally, a summary mark is given and you have the opportunity to see which questions they got wrong also. This can be conveniently emailed to anyone and the results can be exported to Excel for closer analysis.

To truly see the simplicity of the tests, Hadleigh Benson administered a number of tests within mathematics. Each quiz was 20 questions and had a time limit of 6 minutes. The quizzes were on: time (analogue), multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, fractions, graphing, place value, measurement, decimals, and inequality.

Once the entire class had completed the tests which occurred over the two week test period. The results were clear to see. Each student was conferenced on their area of weakness and strength, and what they needed to do in order to learn new mathematical skills.

The results were extraordinary, the data provided by these tests were exactly what a teacher needs. They are short tests in length and provide the next steps for the student in their learning. Along with individual results, the graphs provide in-depth analysis of the class or group learning needs and what areas need to be taught more than others.

Further research needs to include the same tests administered over time, from the beginning of the year, to a mid year and end of year test. These results should then be analysed in order to see how the shift in student knowledge has progressed.

Article.