At ITS, we see many requests for proposals (RFPs) from testing programs searching for new technology solutions. Many of these RFPs include information about each program’s goals and questions about specific technical requirements for solutions such as item banking capabilities. With this solid foundation as a starting point, what else can programs consider to make their search for new solutions more effective and comprehensive? From a technology partner’s perspective, I’d like to share a few thoughts on the essential questions program owners should ask or consider.
Fragmented Technology Solutions
The focus of a new technology partner search often centers on a narrow evaluation for a single solution, such as a new item bank or remote proctoring solution. This approach can lead programs to overlook the bigger picture of how tools work together to streamline the test development process and improve efficiencies.
As one example, leveraging item banking and test delivery technologies together creates synergies throughout the exam development lifecycles. With a narrow focus on item banking alone, these advantages are lost. In some cases, programs are outsourcing the selection of these tools directly to their content development partners, losing control of the process of how their most important asset—their test content—is developed, stored, and delivered.
Programs leveraging both our item bank, Item Workshop, and the ITS Internet Test Driver see significant advantages in key areas such as security, agility, and exam maintenance.
- Security:
- Access to test content is fully configured through user access controls. External content providers and their subject matter experts use a single system for item banking.
- Agility:
- You can see significantly faster publication times. Exam releases use a single-click publishing solution, and there are no costly export package handoffs or rebuild processes, which add significant time to go to market.
- Exam Maintenance:
- Feedback loops are directly integrated into the maintenance process. Item statistics are generated in the item bank, allowing for alerts when item quality issues arise, such as items that are too difficult or not discriminating. Candidate comments left on exams are sent directly to the item bank for review by subject matter experts during the exam maintenance process.
Not Considering the Bigger Picture
Another key consideration when issuing an RFP is evaluating all test delivery models upfront. Programs often shop for different partners for test center delivery, performance-based evaluations, and practice assessments. The result is that test development teams are forced to jump between multiple toolsets to publish exams, leading to challenges in maintaining and delivering consistently high-quality exams. Even worse, you may not have the option to offer the assessments you need to support your program due to the lack of a holistic offering.
At ITS, we want to support test sponsors in meeting their audience at every step of a learner’s journey. Our solutions help test sponsors maintain a lifelong learning and evaluation relationship with their test candidates. We provide a single item banking and test delivery solution that allows programs to publish exams for all the following modalities:
- Learning Management System Assessments: Provide end-of-module knowledge checks or end-of-course assessments using our full suite of item types.
- Practice Exams: Using ITS’s practice solution, author, publish, and deliver practice tests that use the same item types and user interfaces as your high-stakes exams in different practice modes, including quiz and benchmarking options.
- In Training Exams: Reach your learners in environments such as schools and universities by delivering high-stakes tests using a lockdown browser in your private test center network.
- Test Center Delivery: ITS directly integrates our driver into professional test center networks around the globe so you can deliver high-stakes certification and licensure exams.
- Observational Exams: ITS offers a solution that allows programs to author and publish observational exams to support certification, licensure, and hiring assessments. These can be delivered onsite or fully remote, allowing programs flexibility in scheduling.
- Longitudinal Assessments: Maintain a lifelong learning relationship with your certified body of professionals by offering AI-powered adaptive solutions. These solutions leverage the adult learning theory to assess candidates over time while providing timely and relevant industry learning material.
Innovation Mindset
Being in a mismatched partnership can be frustrating for both test sponsors and technology partners, so finding the right cultural fit is incredibly important.
RFPs are a great way to evaluate what solutions a technology partner offers today, but they also present an opportunity to assess how your partner can evolve, grow, and innovate with you over time.
At ITS, we’re rarely asked about how we reinvest in our technology solutions. Still, we feel it’s important to provide that context to test sponsors to emphasize that technology is constantly evolving, and we plan to evolve with it. As part of any evaluation, programs should ask their potential partners for client references who can represent how they’ve successfully worked together and specific project examples where they’ve partnered with their clients to develop and bring brand-new exam products or technology solutions to market. Taking this step can help programs get a sense for if they are entering into the right partnership and avoid the hassle of shopping for solutions again at the end of the contract agreement.
Conclusion
It can be overwhelming to select a new technology partner or decide whether to build vs. buy in the first place. At ITS, we want to help programs build the best exam products possible for your stakeholders, and we are happy to brainstorm together. Contact us at sales@testsys.com.
If you think we missed anything else programs should consider when evaluating new partners, let us know in the comments.
About the Author
Pat Hughes is Vice President, IT Assessments at Internet Testing Systems. He expertly advises IT assessment sponsors on a variety of topics, including item banking, exam delivery, accessibility, security, and performance-based testing. Pat also regularly presents on these topics at Innovations in Testing, the Institute for Credentialing Excellence Exchange, The Performance Testing Council, and the IT Certification Council. In addition to his responsibilities at ITS he also volunteers as a Director on the IT Certification Council board. When he’s not working, you might find him making his own pizza, skiing, or taking his Labrador Retriever Basil swimming.