Human factors in the CAT system: A pilot study.

Abstract

Upon completion of the Accelerated CAT-ASVAB Project (ACAP) system, described in the previous four chapters, the first empirical study to be conducted was an evaluation of the human-machine interface and attitudes toward CAT-ASVAB. By 1986, at the time this study was conducted, thousands of recruits had taken CAT-ASVAB on the experimental system. Nearly all participants appeared to understand the computer-presented instructions well enough to proceed through the battery with a minimum of test administrator intervention. However, before CAT-ASVAB could be used operationally, concerns about the user interface needed be addressed. It was believed that the favorable results obtained in prior studies on CAT-ASVAB concerning the instructions may not generalize to the population of interest: military applicants. This concern was fueled by at least three important observations. First, the instructions for the operational ACAP system had undergone extensive revisions t o accommodate necessary changes for an operational battery. Second, everyone participating in prior studies had taken the ASVAB before (on paper-and-pencil). Because of the simi-HUMAN FACTORS IN THE CAT SYSTEM 157

Interface design in computer-based language testing

“…One description of a usability study, in the context of the ASVAB, considered legibility of test items, comprehension of instructions, effects of fatigue and test administration factors (e.g., clock time), as well as familiarity issues (Vincino and Moreno, 1997).…”