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Seven ways to demonstrate on-line skills

NAPLAN Online - trial of the new online assessment platform

You may have heard that NAPLAN online is being introduced across Australia over three years from 2017. Tasmanian Government schools will be administering NAPLAN online from 2019. NAPLAN online hopes to provide better assessment, more precise results and faster turnaround of information.

Our school has opted to trial the new assessment platform (the computer system the test will be taken on) and assess our readiness to participate in NAPLAN Online from 2019. This trial is called the School Readiness Test (SRT). The SRT is not a test of student achievement and results will not form part of a student’s overall assessment. Participating in this trial is important as it will help us ensure we have adequate internet connectivity, and whether students have access to sufficient number of devices for NAPLAN testing.

During the trial, our school will have the opportunity to practice managing the classroom logistics for an online assessment and the new test administration processes. Feedback from schools participating in the trial will inform transition to the online assessment as well as provide valuable feedback to shape the final development of the NAPLAN online platform.

The SRT has not been constructed to assess curriculum knowledge, but rather to provide students an opportunity to experience the types of questions that will be included in the new online assessment. During August-September 2017, selected students in Years 3 and 7 will participate in the trial of the assessment platform, by undertaking two online tests that include examples of the new NAPLAN online questions. Each test will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Participation in this trial is a key step to ensuring a successful NAPLAN online experience. NAPLAN Online requires students to confidently use a computer or device in at least seven ways.

All students need to develop these skills when using ICT so we would encourage teachers and parents to look for ways that students can become familiar with these skills. Educational games are a good resource for developing these skills.

Seven ways to demonstrate on-line skills

1 Locate and select an answer from a list

• Tap or move the mouse so the cursor is over the correct answer and click/tap once on the answer icon. Select or change one or multiple answers from a list.

2 Type an answer

• Tap or click to set the cursor and use the keypad or keyboard to type an answer.
• Sequence answers in a list and edit answers as needed.

3 Read the screen and navigate web pages

• Navigate web pages using scroll bars (both side/bottom bars), next and back arrows, and buttons and icons. Open and close items and zoom in and out.
• Know how to flag a question and read the progress map and return to unanswered questions. Use an on-screen timer to judge progress in a test.

4 Manipulate objects on screen

• Drag and drop words and objects or a slider, and rotate and manipulate items on screen such as 3D nets. Draw straight lines to answers.
• Use an online calculator, protractor, magnifier and ruler (depending on year level). Use a split screen to scroll or toggle back and forth.

5 Read and comprehend digital texts

• Read digital texts and track words without losing their place or becoming distracted.
• Minimise the reading text to answer questions and toggle back to read the text and continue with the test.

6 Plan and compose text using word processing

• Plan digitally using concept maps and lists, or brainstorming tools.
• Know and use all the keys on a keyboard including etters, numbers, characters and punctuation marks.
• Know how to word process.
• Use punctuation when composing digital text: space key, commas, full stops, questions, quotes and quotation marks, and Bold Italic Underline.
• Know how to capitalise letters.
• Use Delete, Backspace and Enter, move words and phrases by selecting, dragging and dropping text.
• Edit and improve their writing by changing the order of a sentence/paragraph around by dragging and dropping text, copying and pasting, replacing words or phrases and adding speech.

If you have further questions, please contact Selina Kinne at the school via email: skinne@dominic.tas.edu.au

Mrs Selina Kinne, Director of Teaching & Learning K-10