Removing the Teacher ‘Blind Spot’: Developing a Comprehensive Online Place Value Assessment Tool for Year 3–6 Teachers.

As we move into the 21st century, educationalists are continuing to explore the myriad of possibilities offered by Computer Based Assessment (CBA). CBA is particularly relevant in the field of Mathematics Education, where dichotomous items are commonplace. This chapter compares the validity, reliability and practicality of a paper and online place value assessment for Upper Primary students. The Place Value Assessment Tool (PVAT) and its online equivalent (the PVAT-O) were administered, using a counterbalanced research design, to 253 Year 3–6 students across 9 classes at a primary school in metropolitan Melbourne. Rasch analysis was used to quantitatively determine if the tests were comparable. Students and teachers (n = 7) were surveyed to provide qualitative insight into the advantages and disadvantages of CBA from each perspective. The findings presented in this chapter suggest there is little or no difference between the paper and pen and online version of the PVAT in terms of difficulty or student preference, however the online mode was preferred by teachers. Threats to validity including speediness, practical considerations including a schools’ technological infrastructure and the importance of developing a teacher’s assessment literacy skills are highlighted. The chapter suggests providing comparable online and paper version of assessments, and allowing teachers to select the mode which best suits their needs, affords numerous advantages for schools.