New Item Types and Scoring

The advent of the computer has broadened the concept of testing and assessment. Previously, tests were mainly restricted to a paper-and-pencil medium and a multiple-choice format; however, the computer coupled with recent advancements in its technological sophistication has afforded test developers much more freedom in the types of tests they create. Much research in this area has been devoted to the development of innovative item types, which utilize the computer's capabilities to improve assessment or assess characteristics that traditional items cannot. Innovative items allow for a more extensive assessment of individual differences; however, the benefits of these new items do not come without a cost. Scoring innovative items is usually not as simplistic as employing a multiple-choice key, and, often, the items require extremely complicated scoring algorithms. In this chapter, we provide a review of innovative item types and their accompanying scoring issues. Owing to limited space and a rapidly changing field, it is impossible to provide an exhaustive review; therefore, we focus on the most recent and influential research in the field. Keywords: computerized assessment; innovative item types; computerized scoring