The two major college entrance exams in the United States are going digital. Since 2015, ACT Inc. has been offering a digital version of its exam that is now being taken by 8 percent of ACT test takers. The College Board, makers of the rival SAT exam, now also offers a computer option.
But the move towards digital college entrance exams is not without its pitfalls. In addition to recent logistical problems, the SAT and ACT’s shift to computer testing sparks important concerns involving digital reading comprehension and inequality in computer access. Despite these drawbacks, digital testing does make sense in the modern world where computer literacy has quickly become an essential skill. Instead of rejecting the new tests, which would only postpone the challenges tech-deprived students will struggle with later in life, the United States should focus on fighting the digital inequality that disadvantages students without regular access to a computer. In a world where educators are often evaluated based on their students’ test scores, the introduction of digital standardized tests may even force schools with tech-deprived students to focus more urgently on teaching computer skills.
Reading Online is Not the Same
Reading matters; it exposes kids to new and fascinating worlds while also demanding sharper critical thought than the other aspects of their lives, thus improving their cognitive abilities. But although tests like the ACT and SAT claim to measure reading comprehension, the shift towards digital testing has made it hard for good readers to stand out. Research has shown that digital reading and reading on paper are not the same. When people read on a computer screen, their brains do not engage in the kind of deep reading that they would use to read a novel or a mortgage document. This kind of “linear” reading, which these standardized exams are supposed to test, relies on a system of neural circuitry that takes years of practice to develop and is built up from scratch.
Reading digitally instead relies on different parts of the brain more attuned to “non-linear” reading, a process that involves skimming and looking for key phrases rather than scanning over every word in order. It is important for children to be well-versed in the kind of linear reading associated with paper texts because dense texts, the kinds of texts they will encounter in college and beyond, cannot be understood as well non-linearly. When students are tested on their ability to read on a computer, they are unable to properly demonstrate the deep reading skills they have worked hard to build and will rely on down the line.
Given this disparity, one might expect a digital test to disadvantage all students equally. In reality, however, digital testing cuts down the advantage that good readers have worked hard to build. Digital tests fail to asses the crucial kind of proficiency that avid readers possess and instead give an undeserved leg up to their more computer-oriented peers. It is important for tests that claim to measure such an important skill to actually do what they are supposed to do, but a shift towards digital college entrance exams might leave some of the United States’ best young readers behind.
Computer Literacy is an Unfair Criteria
Digital tests also give an advantage to wealthier students, who generally have greater access to computers. According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, wealthier households were more likely to have a computer than poorer ones. 98 percent of households with an annual income greater than $150,000 reported owning a computer, but only 62 percent of those making less than $25,000 could say the same. In the same way that handwritten tests rely on students’ comfort with a pencil, digital tests rely on comfort with a mouse, keyboard, and computer screen: wealthy students who have spent more time on computers than their lower income peers will likely have an easier time taking the new digital tests.
The results also varied by race, with whites and Asians more likely to own a computer than African-Americans and Hispanics. Digital testing may therefore increase disparities in achievement along racial as well as class lines.
Unfair But Not Unreasonable
Despite these flaws, digital college entrance exams’ reliance on computer proficiency is not completely unreasonable in the 21st century. Part of succeeding in college and beyond in 2018 has to do with knowing how to use a computer, and digital tests would prioritize students with strong technical skills and computer expertise. The shortcomings in these tests are not so much a reason to reject them as they are alarming evidence of digital inequality.
To ensure that standardized tests identify students who have developed the best deep reading skills, the SAT and ACT could easily provide print copies of the passages in the reading comprehension section. That way, exam makers could test students on their deep reading skills while still administering the rest of the test digitally.
Fixing inequality in computer literacy presents a greater and more urgent challenge. It has long been argued that the rise of computer technology creates a more equal playing field with greater upward mobility. But the people who make these arguments often forget that inequality in computer access restricts the opportunities of the digital age to those who can afford the newest technology.
Although it may be difficult to ever completely solve this problem of digital inequality, some progress is being made by private organizations. For example, economist Aleph Molinari’s Learning and Innovation network has expanded internet access in low income areas across Mexico through a series of technology oriented community centers. Not only could private organizations in the United States do the same, but American public schools could also take a more aggressive approach to ensuring that students are computer literate by adding extra computer time to the schedule and developing courses in introductory programming and basic software proficiency.
Despite the digital divide, discarding the new standardized exams would only postpone the first major test that tech-deprived students will struggle to pass in their lives. Equally as important, prohibiting digital tests would allow schools to remain passive as disadvantaged students continue to graduate without the skills they need to succeed in the modern world. A shift to digital standardized testing should therefore prompt schools to focus more on teaching important computer skills in order to prepare their students for life in the digital age.
Image Credit: Patrick Semansky/AP