[RUME] On-line Placement tests

[Jerome Epstein]

I think Charles is correct to be very concerned about online placement.

I would point out that on my Basic Skills Diagnostic Test (BSDT -- write 
for info if you want), there is a quite strong correlation between the 
score on the first half and the SAT I. The first half of the test is 
non-algebraic and all of its questions should be answerable by a 
competent 8th or 9th grader. What is quite stunning is the relative 
scale of the correlation. If one says that 75% on the 8th grade level 
test is minimally competent this correlates to 620 on the SAT. Below 600 
one finds rapidly increasing probability that one will see serious 
problems at elementary school level math, approaching virtual certainty 
at 500 (the national average). This has been shown now at 3 
universities, and with many hundreds of students at my university. We 
have students who have passed calculus in high school and cannot put 
fractions and decimals in order from smallest to largest. Lots of them. 
So do you, if you have students near the national average SAT.

Jerry Epstein

Charles Schwartz wrote:

>The Orientation office at my university is proposing to move away 
>from giving a paper and pencil test to incoming freshman students. 
>One option they are pushing is for us to offer an on-line placement 
>test.  A second option they are pushing is for us to rely on just the 
>Math SAT score.
>
>Currently:  new freshmen are placed into a freshman math class by the 
>Math SAT scores and by our own in-house Math Skills Test.  If the 
>Math SAT score is 550 or greater, then the Skills Test is waived, and 
>Liberal Arts students may enroll in Finite Math (which serves as our 
>Liberal Arts math class, and uses Mathematical Ideas by Miller, 
>Hereen, Hornsby); or Business Majors may enroll in Quatitative Method 
>for Business.  (Math and Science majors are a different category, and 
>I'll skip over their placement.)
>
>If the Math SAT score is under 550, we administer our Math Skills 
>Test at a Testing session in May.  Students who pass our Skills Test 
>may also enroll in Finite Math or Quantitative Methods, as 
>appropriate, but student who fail must enroll in the course Math 
>Skills Lab (if Liberal Arts) or Intro to Quantitative Methods (if 
>Business).  Neither of these classes carries credit toward 
>graduation, nor, in our opinion, should they, since they are remedial.
>
>I'm reluctant to go to on-line testing, because I fear that (a) 
>students might have a friend take the test for them or (b) students 
>won't follow the rules we put in place.  Our rule is "no calculators" 
>and many students resent this, but we think it is important for 
>students at least to have minimal skills with arithmetic and algebra 
>before entering these math classes.  It is my experience (as Chair, 
>and previously, as Director of the Math Lab)  that many students 
>would do whatever it takes to avoid taking the developmental, 
>non-credit class (except study, that is).
>
>I'm also reluctant to rely solely on the SAT score, because the SAT 
>is testing at a higher level of understanding. ( There's also the 
>calculator issue, but ...)
>
>Does anyone have direct experience with online placement tests, and 
>whether students abide by the rules?
>Or anecdotal reports, or research on whether students who pass 
>on-line tests are better or worse prepared than students who take 
>paper-and-pencil tests?
>
>  
>