Testing Services tries out new exam
Ryan Davis: Muleskinner
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News
In August, UCM switched from the College Base (C-BASE) exam to the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP) test, in an effort to better evaluate students' competency of the general education program.
The switch came, in part, as a result of the university's dissatisfaction with the quality of information provided to it by the C-BASE.
"A problem with (the C-BASE) was that if we were trying to get feedback about a specific program, the test company itself didn't always provide the precise kind of information we needed so that we could zero in and say, 'Oh we are lacking in this,'" said Michael Grelle, associate provost of Academic Affairs. "It didn't provide us with the type of information that we needed for program improvement."
However, the general consensus seems to be that the MAPP test provides this type of information and is a better indicator of competency due to the fact that it is an assessment of skills, rather than being content based.
"The C-BASE is what we call more of a content based test, which simply means that it tests your knowledge in subject areas and we used that test for a number of years," Grelle said. "But when we evaluated it, we found that a number of students were disadvantaged because of the layout."
Because the MAPP test relies on skills, it also solves the issue that many transfer students experienced when it came time to fulfill the general education assessment policy at UCM.
"The test has to measure the competency of not only our students, but transfer students as well," Grelle said. "But now it doesn't matter what curriculum you've had, each student is on a level playing field in taking this test because it's not content based."
The thing to remember, according to Cynthia Bertalott, assistant director of Testing Services, is that the earlier the test is taken the more it benefits the student in the long-run.
"Students need to begin the test in the semester where they have attained a total of 45 credit hours. The problem is that students hear that they have to have the gen-ed assessment policy fulfilled by the time they have 75 hours and they think they can wait. That's too late," she said. "One of the benefits of assessing the student at this earlier time period is that we will be better able to identify students that need extra support."
The switch came, in part, as a result of the university's dissatisfaction with the quality of information provided to it by the C-BASE.
"A problem with (the C-BASE) was that if we were trying to get feedback about a specific program, the test company itself didn't always provide the precise kind of information we needed so that we could zero in and say, 'Oh we are lacking in this,'" said Michael Grelle, associate provost of Academic Affairs. "It didn't provide us with the type of information that we needed for program improvement."
However, the general consensus seems to be that the MAPP test provides this type of information and is a better indicator of competency due to the fact that it is an assessment of skills, rather than being content based.
"The C-BASE is what we call more of a content based test, which simply means that it tests your knowledge in subject areas and we used that test for a number of years," Grelle said. "But when we evaluated it, we found that a number of students were disadvantaged because of the layout."
Because the MAPP test relies on skills, it also solves the issue that many transfer students experienced when it came time to fulfill the general education assessment policy at UCM.
"The test has to measure the competency of not only our students, but transfer students as well," Grelle said. "But now it doesn't matter what curriculum you've had, each student is on a level playing field in taking this test because it's not content based."
The thing to remember, according to Cynthia Bertalott, assistant director of Testing Services, is that the earlier the test is taken the more it benefits the student in the long-run.
"Students need to begin the test in the semester where they have attained a total of 45 credit hours. The problem is that students hear that they have to have the gen-ed assessment policy fulfilled by the time they have 75 hours and they think they can wait. That's too late," she said. "One of the benefits of assessing the student at this earlier time period is that we will be better able to identify students that need extra support."
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