Computerized assessment: An investigation of the equivalency upon student performance as compared with paper -and -pencil testing for students in an adult education program at a Middle East university

The purpose of the ground-breaking study is to examine the equivalency of computerized and paper and pencil testing methods as they relate to student performance in an adult education program at a Middle East university. The objectives of the research were to examine the similarities and differences of computerized assessment online through the internet juxtaposed to traditional paper-and-pencil testing methods. The research questions are stated as: Is there a significant difference in performance measure assessed by computer and students who are assessed by paper and pencil at an adult education program at a Middle East university? And what impact do age, gender, computer usage, education levels, any English courses previously taken, and typing skills have on students who are tested in a computerized format? The subjects of this first ever computerized assessment study were a group of 40 students enrolled in a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) program in an adult education program at a The American University in Cairo. Participants were separated into two groups taking the same test; the group that completed the assessment online by computer and the group that completed the assessment in a paper-and-pencil format. The overall goal of the study was to examine how Egyptian students at a Middle East university perform during computerized testing and add to the limited research. Test scores were used to assess students' performance using a correlational case study design. The research will test the theory that computerized assessment methods do not affect student performance.