Remote Testing of Reading Comprehension in 8-Year-Old Children: Mode and Setting Effects

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Educational psychology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Remote proctored testing is growing as an alternative to traditional assessments.
• Concerns exist about measurement bias due to varying computer devices and home environments.
• Feasibility of remote cognitive testing for young children remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a reading comprehension test for 8-year-olds administered remotely.
• To distinguish between mode (computer vs. paper) and setting (remote vs. on-site) effects.
• To assess measurement bias in remote cognitive testing for children.

Main Methods:

• A reading comprehension test was given to 1,590 children aged 8.
• Testing conditions included classroom (paper/computer) and remote (tablet/laptop).
• Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were used to detect biases.

Main Results:

• Notable item-level differences were found across assessment conditions.
• Overall score bias was largely negligible.
• Children with lower reading comprehension showed minor setting effects; tablet testing resembled paper tests.

Conclusions:

• Remote cognitive testing introduces minimal measurement bias for young children on average.
• Tablet-based remote testing is a viable alternative, closely mirroring paper-based assessments.
• While some item-level differences exist, remote testing appears feasible for child assessments.