The Construction and Uses of CATIA, a Computerized Mathematics Testbank

Abstract

In reviewing the uses of computers in the classroom during an NSF In-Service Institute, we discovered that test generation and scoring was one use which was immediately practical (assuming a testbank was available). The Los Angeles Unified School District and IBM had developed a software package called Classroom Teachers Support System [3] which generates tests, according to the instructor's selection from a category list. CTSS also prints the test on reproduction masters if desired and retains the key to the test so that it can score the answers and furnish the instructor a statistical analysis of the result. Since it runs on a batch basis, the costs are substantially less than any form of interactive educational use. CTSS, furthermore, was available on the San Diego State University computer. At the same time, it seemed to us that computerized testing, in addition to saving time and clerical work for the instructor, could improve the testing process. The item analysis and other statistical information allow the opportunity to improve the quality of the questions. The possibility of generating equivalent but different tests allows retesting over the same material without worrying about security problems. This latter possibility appeared to us to be invaluable in two situations: the initial placement of the student where retesting may assure better placement, and the testing in precalculus courses where there is the need for many different sections of a course to cover the same material. There was but one main difficulty in applying computerized testing to the