Article: Applying principles of UD to test delivery

Article 1: Reading with digital text: is it about more than access?

Dolan, R.P., Hall, T.E., Banerjee, M., Chun, E. & Strangman, N. (2005, February). Applying principles of universal design to test delivery: The effect of computer-based read-aloud on test performance of high school students with learning disabilities. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 3(7). Retrieved September 19, 2007, from http://www.jtla.org

Dolan et al begin their article by pointing to the need for accurate assessment of all learners. They also mention the need for individualized accommodations for learners, especially those with disabilities. It is proposed that text-to-speech technology be employed by test creators to provide a consistent accommodation for students.

The authors write about “construct irrelevance”. This is the idea that many assessments measure unintended skills and knowledge along with the intended content of the test. For example, math tests that are language-based measure the students’ math ability – along with their reading and writing abilities. This can be a particularly difficult problem for students with disabilities (such as sight or hearing impairment, the inability to hold a pencil, etc.).

Dolan et al also write about the traditional accommodations used for struggling readers – having tests read aloud by a teacher or aide on a individual or small group setting. They site three problems with this accommodation:

1. Read alouds vary in quality of delivery.

2. Students are reluctant to ask human readers for clarification or repetition of a questions/passage.

3. Intonation of human reader can be an issue for test takers.

To create an even playing field for learners, Dolan et al suggest using text-to-speech technology (CBT-TTS) in test-taking. This technology involves a computerized voice reading material to test takers. The authors found that this accommodation led to slightly better overall scores on the test. They also found that TTS technology led to significantly better scores when the question involved reading a long passage. Dolan et al also found that over 90% of test-takers accessed the TTS technology when it was available to them during the test.

At our school, we have difficulty finding staff to deliver small-group test accommodations to students. Having the TTS available during standardized testing would solve our test staffing dilemma – and more importantly, make sure that all students are being given the same accommodations and opportunity to succeed.