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TITLE:
Effects of Computer Versus Paper Administrations of a State-Mandated Writing Assessment

AUTHOR(S):
Michael Russell, Boston College
Tom Plati, Boston College

DOCUMENT TYPE: Article

ABSTRACT:
This article builds on two previous studies (Russell, 1999; Russell & Haney, 1997) that explored the effect mode of administration, that is computer versus paper-andpencil, has on student performance on open-ended items requiring written responses. Whereas the two previous studies have focused on middle school students, the study presented here focuses on students in eighth and tenth grade. In addition, whereas the previous studies examined the effect on relatively short open-ended items that ranged from two to thirty minutes in length, this article focuses on extended composition items designed to be completed during two 45 to 60 minute blocks of time. Finally, whereas the previous studies focused on students attending an urban school district that had just begun placing large numbers of computers in its schools and which generally performs below the state average on state tests, this article focuses on students attending school in a suburban district in which computers are used regularly in most classrooms and which generally performs well above the state average on state tests. Given the increasing emphasis many states are placing on student performance on state-level tests, the study presented here provides further evidence that state-level tests containing open-ended items are under-estimating the achievement of students accustomed to using computers for writing.