Abstract
Digital media are becoming increasingly prevalent in the assessment of student achievement. Assessments that use digital media rather than pencil-and-paper (PPT) present the test materials on a screen (computer-based test: CBT) and can apply adaptive testing procedures (computer adaptive test: CAT). Based on cognitive load theory, presentation differences between the screen and paper might impact the cognitive load experienced during a reading comprehension test. In addition, working memory resource depletion might be indicative of an accumulation of cognitive load over the course of a test. Due to their active alignment of item difficulty and person ability, cognitive load might increase more in CATs than in PPTs or CBTs. Research has mostly compared test scores resulting from these different test formats, while systematic differences in the testing experience, such as experienced cognitive load, have received less scholarly attention. This study investigated how the three test formats of PPT, CBT, CAT affect examinees' level of experienced cognitive load in the middle and at the end of a reading comprehension test. In a between- and within-subject design, 212 German fourth graders (age: M = 9.44, SD = 0.59) were randomly assigned to a standardized reading comprehension test administered in one of the three test formats (between-subject: CBT, CAT, or PPT). Linear mixed-effects models revealed no significant mean differences in experienced cognitive load between the three test conditions, but a higher rate of increase in cognitive load in the adaptive test, although the effects were relatively small. Implications for future reading comprehension assessments using digital media are discussed.
Published Version
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