Foundation Skills Assessment 2001-2006 Data

This report compares the performance of students taking the Grade 7 FSA exam in British
Columbia in computer-based and paper-based formats and offers quantitative evidence
to guide future computer-based test administration. May 2007
Jim Gaskill and Mike Marshall

Since 2004, the use of electronic administration of the Grade 7 Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) in British Columbia has grown. Only one school was offering electronic exams in 2004 compared to 28 schools two years later. This report is based on 15 schools that administered the FSA electronically in at least one year during that period and had a fair proportion of students involved.

Because the electronic interface has different characteristics for each of the FSA components and because males and females may approach computer applications differently, separate analyses with gender as a factor were carried out for Numeracy Multiple-Choice, Reading Multiple-Choice, Reading constructed-response, Writing Focused Response and Writing Extended Response. Additionally, students were placed in three achievement categories based on their results on the Grade 4 FSA and the analyses were carried out using Achievement Category as a factor.

Student performance appeared to be impacted by certain features unique to the electronic and paper formats resulting in some advantages and some disadvantages for students.

The detailed statistical analyses provided in this report are followed by discussion and recommendations for future research on electronic FSA examinations.

This research was commissioned by the Technology Assisted Student Assessment Institute (TASA), an assessment research arm of the Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education (SAEE). The research was supported through funding from the Max Bell Foundation.

ISBN 978-0-973018-1-1

♦ Order ♦ Executive Summary ♦