Computer-based assessments of high school mathematics in Myanmar

Abstract

Computer-based assessment (CBA) is a versatile educational tool in the twenty-first century. It offers many new opportunities for innovation in educational assessment through rich new assessment tasks and improves the learning progress of students. Educators have begun to benefit from CBA as it reduces the timing in reporting scores and increases assessment efficiency that enables immediate feedback. However, assessments in Myanmar high schools are mainly in paper-and-pencil test (PPT). Due to the large class and a limited number of teachers, this regular assessment causes them more workload in administering tests and providing scores and feedback. As a result, teachers spend most of their time assessing, scoring, and providing feedback. These activities negatively affect allocated hours of teaching and learning, which, in turn, are ineffective on the learning progress of students. The aims are: (1) to examine high schools in Myanmar whether computer-based assessment, this is, linear-online test (LOT) and computer-adaptive test (CAT) is more effective test mode than PPT as a formative assessment for the learning progress of students; (2) to identify contextual scales that influence students learning progress due to computer-based assessments and regular paper-and-pencil test. Of intervention design with explanatory mix-method, this study applied counter-balanced quasi-experimental research to compare effects of computer-based and paper-based assessments in terms of the achievement improvement of students. This study conducted surveys among students and teachers, followed by semi-structured interviews from five high schools in Yangon Region, Myanmar. Students from these high schools took the computer-based test and paper-based format as formative assessments. For constructing an online formative assessment test, both the Concerto platform and online Monkey Survey were applied, and through the Rasch Dichotomous model, items are assembled in the item-banks of the computer-based assessment. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to examine the effect of the test modes. The results of the computer-based test mode showed that students who received their specific scores and feedback immediately improved their mathematics achievement significantly higher than those who received the delayed score and feedback from the paper-based test mode. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the structural relationship between measured variables. This model shows that positive attitude of students towards either computer-based or paper-based is the ultimate mechanism for more remarkable achievement. Although the two test delivery media may affect different groups of participant students in different ways, this concerns equity issues. For example, findings showed that educational background of parents, students’ gender, and attitude towards paper-based assessment or computer-based assessment could influence or affect the achievement of students. In addition, the specific practices of teachers towards formative assessment influence the attitude of students. The attitude of teachers concerning computers and technology affects the attitude of students towards innovative assessment formats. As shown by hierarchical linear modelling, the cross-level interaction effect from the teacher-level on the slope of the attitude of students towards paper-based assessment and their achievement improvement is specific practices of formative assessment. In addition, this study showed that the attitude of students to information and communications technology (ICT) and the attitude of teachers to formative assessment and ICT directly affect the achievement improvement of students. This thesis reveals significant gaps in understanding concerning formative assessment in Myanmar and contributes to the theoretical, practical, and methodological implications in mathematics assessment and learning. In addition, the findings provide (albeit for Myanmar educational systems) a practical resource for assessment developers and a useful framework for the discussion of innovative assessment formats and use in computer-based settings.