Mr Barrett will take part in an interactive panel discussion on the implications and pitfalls of mobile assessment at the 2016 Innovations in Testing Conference, an event organised by the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), the global membership body for assessment professionals.
He said: “With the ubiquity of mobile devices, employers want to put candidates in control and make it easy for them to complete assessments whenever they want. There’s also a growing demand for mobile pre-application testing, through Realistic Job Previews and Situational Judgement Questionnaires. But care is needed here, as the user experience is a deciding factor in whether someone engages with a potential employer. It’s a delicate balance to create an aesthetic user experience that doesn’t compromise basic testing principles. The goal is to gain accurate predictive analytics on a candidate’s behaviour or cognitive ability so you can match them to a job objectively. Just because you ‘can’ deliver on all devices doesn’t mean you ‘should’. For example, some ability tests may be unsuitable for smartphone screens as they have too much information to display. They may work perfectly well on tablets, which offer a bigger screen. It’s therefore important to specify which devices candidates can use for each test. Get it right and mobile assessment can help you engage with wider talent pools and recruit your talent faster.”
For the ATP panel discussion, David Barrett will be joined by Rostislav Benak of Assessment Systems International and Michael Tack from BDO Belgium. Together, they’ll answer questions on the opportunities and challenges of mobile assessment, including the difference in the data that’s gathered by computers and mobile devices and whether the shift to mobile is as fundamental as the shift from paper-based to online testing.
“By attending this conference session, you’ll benefit from expert advice and best practice case examples of how mobile devices can and should be used in assessment,” said David Barrett. “The beauty of using a mobile device is that candidates can complete an assessment when and where it is convenient for them. However, employers need to think carefully about what they’re trying to achieve and consider the reality of how people use mobile devices. It’s important to give every candidate the fairest possible chance to succeed, so they should only be allowed to take assessments on devices that will provide comparable results.”
The annual Innovations in Testing Conference is a three-day event which showcases new developments in the assessment industry and provides opportunities for ATP members to network. The 2016 event will be held on 20-23 March at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hotel in Orlando, Florida.
