A method of constructing written educational tests at the local school district level from validated test questions linked to statements of specific learning objectives in a data base recorded on compact laser discs. A laser disc player operated by the educator who is formulating the test displays and edits the available questions in selected topics on a visual monitor. The questions which are displayed may be selected at the local level to reflect the actual content of the course which is being examined. After all questions have been selected, they can be downloaded (including graphics) to a laser printer which prints professional quality test booklets at the local site. Alternatively, reference to the selected questions (numbers) can be downloaded onto a floppy disc which is transported to a service bureau for printing of the test booklets there. The test results can be scored locally and test reports can be printed locally.
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for computer-based evaluation of a test-taker's performance with respect to selected comparative norms. The system includes a home testing computer for transmitting the test-taker's test results to a central computer which derives a performance assessment of the test-taker. The performance assessment can be standardized or customized, as well as relative or absolute. Further, the transmitted test results are configured to reliably associate the student with his test results, using encoding, user identification, or corroborative techniques to deter fraud. Thus, for example, the system allows a parentally-controlled reward system such that children who reach specified objectives can claim an award that parents are confident was fairly and honestly earned without the parent being required to proctor the testing. Fraud, and the need for proctoring, is also deterred during multiple student testing via an option for simultaneous testing of geographically dispersed test-takers.
An in-resident system for administering a course of study using a central data processor having access to a program and using residential/business scale equipment including a terminal and screen that can communicate with the program or a portion of the program, at a remote in-resident location and time the system including a method for personal validation of the remote student and for administering the course of study remotely.
Systems and methods are provided for prioritizing the processing of standardized tests. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method for processing completed standardized tests. In one embodiment, test-processing priority information is received, and is associated with machine-readable identifiers for standardized tests. Completed standardized tests are received, and are identified by reading machine-readable identifiers. The identified standardized tests are processed according to the associated test-processing priority information such that higher priority tests are automatically processed before lower priority tests. Other aspects are provided herein.
An audit and verification process (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120) is used to encode at least one personal identifier (70, 75) onto a media (80, 90) capable of interfacing with a personal computer, typically a floppy disk (80), encoding at least one password onto a viewable media, typically a videocassette (110) onto the floppy disk (80), displaying a prompt on a computer screen of the personal computer which requires a match of the at least one password from the videocassette (110) with the at least one password encoded on the floppy disk (80), storing multiple questions pertinent to a subject matter of the videocassette (110) on the floppy disk, displaying at least one question of the multiple questions on the computer screen of the personal computer and storing the answer to the at least one question on the floppy disk (120). The at least one password on the videocassette (100, 110) is preferably an audio password, but may include visual passwords as well as combinations.
