From adaptive testing to adaptive learning

Modern theories in educational assessment are rapidly transforming testing from unaccommodating ranking measures into flexible and informative tools that can be used to address the compelling needs of various stakeholders in education. The presentation will start with a historical review of some theoretical developments of Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). Then, we will discuss how the cutting-edge testing technology can facilitate individualized learning. Our focus will be on how to build a reliable, and also affordable, adaptive tool for schools to classify students' mastery levels for any given set of cognitive skills that students need to succeed. Results from some experiments concerning the potential of using the CAT technology for both diagnostic and summative purposes will be presented.