Research Projects

The computer-delivered assessment of the reading of electronic texts is an international option within PISA 2009. This work is undertaken by ACER with the substantial support of consortium partner DIPF (the German Institute for International Educational Research). The project has three stages: developmental stage; field trial stage; and main survey and reporting stage. The first stage involved the development of items, administration of a school computer resources survey in participating countries, development of an online item review system, development of a prototype test delivery system to boot from CD, design of an online translation management system, and preparation of a report on the outcome of this developmental stage.

The second stage involved implementation during 2008 of a field trial in the 23 participating countries. This necessitated completion of the test delivery system, implementation of a secure online interface to manage adaptation and translation of items, compiling translated materials into nationally-specific electronic test forms, development of an on-line response coding system, and adaptation of the test delivery system so that the main survey assessment could be delivered from USB stick as well as from CD.

The third and final stage involves optimising the performance of the bootable test delivery systems and development of a diagnostic tool (CD and USB, enhancement of the translation management system to allow for international verification of items, enhancement of the online coding system to allow for multiple-marking of responses, production of 26 national versions for the 20 participating countries, preparation of an ERA scale, investigation of the relationship between ERA and print reading scales, preparation of an international database, and providing analytic support to the OECD for the preparation of a PISA 2009 international report.

2007 – 2010

OECD

Barry McCrae

International database, and contribution to the PISA 2009 international report. The international report is scheduled for public release in December 2010.