Glossary of Terms
Glossary terms A–Z navigation
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Glossary terms A–Z definitions
Adaptive
An Adaptive assessment is one that adapts to the learner’s ability while they are sitting the assessment. This means that questions are selected based on the learner’s actual performance at the time the assessment is taken, rather than from a preselected list.
Compare: 'Non-Adaptive and Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments'
See also: 'CAT'
Administrator Preview Code
An Administrator Preview Code is a unique six-character alpha-numeric token automatically generated for the Organisation Administrator by the Assessment Tool once an online assessment has been created. It allows the Organisation Administrator to log in to the Tool and sit the assessment without first needing to be assigned to it, and without a score or result being retained in the Assessment Tool.
See also: 'Educator Preview Code' for Educator equivalent
Assessment
An assessment in the context of the Assessment Tool is a series of questions that are answered to generate an estimate of a Learner’s ability. Completed either within the Assessment Tool (online) or in written format with the results then uploaded manually, this estimate is represented as a Scale Score and is mapped against the Learning Progressions.
Assessment Code
An Assessment Code is a unique six-character alpha-numeric token automatically generated by the Assessment Tool to give the learner access to a specific online assessment.Assessment Codes also allow the learner to access their own Individual Learner Report associated with an assessment.
Assessment Codes can be emailed automatically to the learner if an email address is held within the Assessment Tool.
Assessment Strand
A description of the assessment’s area of coverage in terms of its relationship with the Learning Progressions.
The Read with Understanding assessment strand includes items from the following progressions:
- Vocabulary
- Language and text features
- Comprehension
- Reading critically
The Write to Communicate assessment strand assesses skills across the following progressions:
- Purpose and audience
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
- Language and text features
- Planning and composing
The General Numeracy Assessment Strand includes both Number Knowledge and Number Strategies and Measurement.
The Number Knowledge Assessment strand includes items from the following progressions:
- Number sequence
- Place value
- Number facts
The Number Strategies and Measurement Assessment Strand includes items from the following progressions:
- Additive strategies
- Multiplicative strategies
- Proportional reasoning strategies
Assessment Type
Both Reading and Numeracy assessments can be created as Adaptive, Non-Adaptive, Non-Adaptive for Printing, or Snapshot, whereas Vocabulary assessments may only be set as Adaptive by default, and Writing assessments can only be printed out and performed as written, offline assessments that are then marked and entered into the Assessment Tool to be automatically assigned a Scale Score.
Adaptive assessments (also called Computer Adaptive Tests, or CAT Assessments) mark the learner's response as they progress through the assessment, selecting the next set of questions that are presented to the learner based on the results of the answers given. In this way, the Assessment Tool can usually arrive at a more precise assessment of the learner's ability as it is able to dynamically adjust the questions the learner answers, thus avoiding an assessment that is too difficult or too easy overall for the specific learner.
Non-Adaptive assessments are also performed on the computer, but use an algorithm to determine a likely spread of questions based on a starting point that is chosen when creating the assessment. Non-Adaptive assessments have the advantage that everyone is answering the same set of questions, but run the risk of the assessment being too easy or too hard for some learners.
Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments are Non-Adaptive assessments that are specifically created to be printed and handed out to the learners for completion - for example when an online assessment cannot be performed. The answers for these types of assessments are automatically compiled in a Marking Guide, which is downloaded and used to mark the assessment, after which the marks are entered into the Assessment Tool by the Educator or Organisation Administrator.
Snapshot assessments (available only for Reading or Numeracy) are shorter adaptive assessments aimed at using a minimum number of items to make a broad estimate of a learner's achievement level. When creating a Snapshot assessment, Educators must either set a step level Threshold or choose "No Threshold". When a Threshold is set, the Assessment Tool will terminate the assessment when there is sufficient confidence around the result to categorise the learner as achieving either below or above the threshold step. If the Assessment Tool cannot categorise the result after about 16 items, it will terminate the assessment and report a Threshold decision of "Undecided". If the "No threshold" option is selected the Assessment Tool will not attempt to categorise a learner as above or below a threshold step and will simply terminate after about 16 items. Snapshot assessments will always report a best fit step and a scale score (with a margin of error) whether or not a Threshold has been set.
CAT - Computer Adaptive Test
CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) is a common term used to describe Adaptive assessments.
Educator
The generic term used to describe the people that use the assessment reports to inform the intervention provided to their learners. This could include tutors in a classroom environment and resource writers, training advisors and on-job trainers in an industry training/workplace environment.
For detailed information relating to this role and relevant downloadable resources, click here for the Educator's View.
Educator Code
An Educator Code is a unique six-character alpha-numeric token that is entered by an Educator when logging into the Assessment Tool. The Educator Code is only required when an Educator has been created in the Assessment Tool without an ESAA Username. When the Educator first logs into the Assessment Tool, the Educator Code allows the Tool to link the Educator’s profile to the ESAA identity (note: this process only needs to be completed once).
Educator Group
A group that has been created by an Educator. By default an Educator Group has only one owner: its creator. It cannot be shared with other Educators.
Compare with: 'Organisational Group'
Educator Preview Code
An Educator Preview Code is a unique six-character alpha-numeric token automatically generated for the Educator by the Assessment Tool once an online assessment has been created. It allows the Educator to log in to the Tool and sit the assessment without first needing to be assigned to it, and without a score or result being retained in the Assessment Tool.
See also: 'Administrator Preview Code' for Organisation Administrator equivalent
ESAA - Education Sector Authentication and Authorisation
ESAA is the authentication and authorisation mechanism that provides users with access to online Education Sector Services, including the Assessment Tool. For more information on ESAA, see the information on the Services for Tertiary Education Organisations website, where you can also download the Request for User Setup and Access.
External Learner Reference (ELR)
The External Learner Reference is an attribute of a learner that can be stored in the Learner’s details. It can be used to enter any value that is of use when exporting learner data to other systems, for example a Student number, SMS ID, Learner number, and so on. Its use in the Assessment Tool is optional.
Gain Report
The Gain Report identifies Learners who have made a statistically significant improvement in their assessment results. For more information, see Introducing the Gain Report.
General Numeracy
An Assessment Strand that covers all of the numeracy progressions that can be assessed in the Assessment Tool.
Group
A concept within the Assessment Tool whereby a number of Learners and Educators can be combined into a single entity, that can then be used for the purpose of assigning authentication and access rights.
Group Owner
An Educator that has been assigned special rights in relation to the management of a group.
Margin of Error
The Margin of Error relates to the level of difficulty the assessment questions take in relation to the learner’s ability. This indicates the precision of the score and gives a range within which to be reasonably sure that the student's true achievement level lies - i.e. if a learner has a Scale Score of 534 +/- 29 and they then sat a similar assessment, the learner would likely score between 505 and 563.
However, a learner who correctly answers all or nearly all of the questions in a non-adaptive assessment will be located above the scale locations of most of the assessment questions. This is because it is most likely that the learner is capable of answering many questions that are more difficult than the particular questions that were administered. This will result in a large margin of error related to their scale score.
Marking Assessments
Marking an assessment, in the sense used in the Assessment Tool, involves entering the learner's responses into the Assessment Tool so that it can calculate the Learner's Scale Score. To do this, an Educator or Organisation Administrator must:
- Download the Marking Guide for the assessment; then
- Enter in all of the responses for each of the learners assigned to that assessment.
Marking Guide
A document that is generated when a Non-Adaptive for Printing assessment is created that enables the Educator (or Organisation Administrator) to mark the assessment.
Non-Adaptive and Non-Adaptive for Printing
Non-Adaptive (online) and Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments contain a fixed set of items selected by the algorithm at the time the assessment is generated. Non-adaptive assessments still generate an estimate of the learner’s ability, but unlinke Adaptive assessments, they do not react to the learners responses during the assessment. It is important to ensure the correct difficulty level has been set when creating a Non-Adaptive assessment as there is a risk of the assessment being too easy or too hard for some learners.
Non-Adaptive assessments are sat online and require an internet connection. Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments are intended to be printed as hard copy assessments and handed out to the learners for completion - eg. when an online assessment cannot be performed. The answers for these types of assessments are automatically compiled in a Marking Guide which is then used to mark the assessment. The marks are then entered into the Assessment Tool by the Educator or Organisation Administrator.
Compare with: 'Adaptive'
See also: 'Online Assessment'
Number Knowledge
See 'Assessment Strand'.
Number Strategies and Measurement
See 'Assessment Strand'.
Offline Assessment
A printed assessment that is sat by the Learner without using a computer. Known in the Assessment Tool as a 'Non-Adaptive for Printing' assessment, it is essentially a “paper and pencil” assessment.
Online Assessment
An assessment that is sat by a Learner on a computer using an internet connection.
Organisation Administrator
A role that is given special privileges within the Assessment Tool regarding the administration of an organisation. Responsible for the creation of Organisational Groups and assigning Educators and Learners to these as appropriate. Has access to all assessment data held within an organisation.
For detailed information relating to this role and relevant downloadable resources, click here for the Organisation Administrator's View.
Organisation Group
An Organisation Group is created and managed by the Organisation Administrator and controls which Learners can be seen within the Assessment Tool by which Educator. Organisation Groups can have multiple Learners and Educators assigned to them, but can also have one or more a Group Owners.
Read with Understanding
See 'Assessment Strand'.
Report
A web page that allows the viewer to see the results of a particular assessment or group, so as to assist in the development of appropriate learning interventions. Reports can be downloaded as either PDF or CSV files to be saved to file or printed out. Click here for further information about reports within the Assessment Tool.
Retired
If an assessment status has changed to Retired, it means that Learners assessment results can no longer be added to this assessment. For Adaptive and Snapshot assessments this will occur 26 weeks after the assessment was created and for Non-Adaptive and Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments this will occur 8 weeks after the assessment was created. Note that Learner information must be added to Non-Adaptive for Printing assessments before they retire.
Scale score
A score on a scale of 1-1000 that provides an estimate of the learner’s ability in a particular Assessment Strand.
Snapshot
Available only for Reading or Numeracy, Snapshot assessments are shorter Adaptive assessments aimed at using a minimum number of items to make a broad estimate of a learner's achievement level.
When creating a Snapshot assessment, Educators must either set a step level Threshold or choose "No Threshold".When a Threshold is set, the Assessment Tool will terminate the assessment when there is sufficient evidence around the result to categorise the learner as achieving either below or above the Threshold step.
If the Assessment Tool cannot categorise the result after approximately 16 items, it will terminate the assessment and report a Threshold decision of "Undecided". If the "No threshold" option is selected the Assessment Tool will not attempt to categorise a learner as above or below a Threshold step, and will simply terminate at approximately 16 items.
Snapshot assessments will always report a best fit step and a Scale Score (with a margin of error) whether or not a Threshold has been set. Click here for further information about Snapshot assessments.
Statistically significant gain
A statistically significant gain means that the Assessment Tool is confident the difference between two scale scores represents real learning progress and cannot be explained as resulting from the imprecision associated with the assessment scores. A statistically significant gain is not necessarily a large gain. It merely indicates that the Assessment Tool is confident that the gain is greater than zero. Making a learning gain takes time, explicit acts of teaching and Learner engagement.
Undecided
See 'Snapshot'.