Before going into a lot of detail about testing with Moodle, we need to ask the question, What is a test? A test is a series of questions or problems used to evaluate the abilities or skills of an individual or group. Pretty clear, right? There are all kinds of tests. There are aptitude tests, IQ tests, algebra tests, science experiments, and the list could go on and on. Achievement, cognitive, diagnostic, placement, and proficiency are all different kinds of tests in various fields. There are also different varieties of these tests: direct and indirect, discrete and integrated, norm- and criterion-referenced, objective and subjective tests. Tests!
Our purpose in this book is not to teach you about theories on what is a good test or how and why tests are important, although we will cover some important considerations related to computer-based testing later in the chapter?. Our goal here is to show you how to use Moodle for testing and offer a practical guide to doing it.
Now, if you are reading this book, chances are you are already using Moodle in some way in your classroom, school, or program. You will already understand some or many of the features Moodle has available for enabling administrators and educators to enhance classroom activities, improve the quality of education, and help student-teacher communication. Moodle also allows the teacher to set assignments anytime, allows students to upload files, allows for student-to-class communication, and so much more. The focus of this book is one of these more's. This book will help you understand how to use Moodle for testing and assessment and walk you through some of the features of Moodle that relate to testing and assessments.
Using Moodle to start testing your students will be a big change for them and for you. Some of the things you want to consider before making the change are as follows:
What you are planning to test
Item types that you plan on using
Student access and familiarity with computers and the Internet
Moodle experience
Online learning experience
Physical resources
The most important thing to keep in mind, regardless of the format your test takes, is that it is still a test. It needs to be developed, edited, revised, evaluated, and the student's answers need to be assessed just like a paper-based test. You need to give the students taking the test clear instructions and specific rules to follow, and you also need to make sure that the student understands how to use all the features you included in the test.