The analysis of student behaviour in the state online diagnostic tests: Experience of Latvia

Abstract

For the past four years, Latvian schools were offered the opportunity to choose how to organize the state diagnostic tests – paper-based or online. Online tests modernize and facilitate the assessment and analysis process, as well as ensure sustainable elaboration of diagnostic tests and their customization to the new science subject model and requirements of modern times. The analysis of the results allows looking for the new approaches and methods, innovative information systems and technologies in order to enhance certain skills, abilities, and attitudes. This article analyses students’ behaviour during the state online diagnostic test. An online diagnostic test was prepared by uzdevumi.lv and the tasks were created by the National Examination Centre. The system of the online diagnostic test has the functionality to observe every detail of the student behaviour while taking the test (e.g. how many times students returned to the same task, did they change the answers, if yes, which questions and how many times were corrected, etc.). The research was conducted among sixth grade (11-13 years old) students in Latvian schools. (This year online diagnostic tests were completed by 8564 students from 249 schools). The purpose of the research – to analyse the peculiarity of students’ behaviour during the online diagnostic test.