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Emerging Technologies in Simulation Testing
The Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (SIOP) is the organization for professionals involved in organizational disciplines including employee selection. SIOP is a great way for us to meet with other professionals and share best practices in testing and assessment from both the private and public sectors. At Ergometrics we believe it is important to stay connected with current research and field developments in order to continually provide our clients with the best possible solutions.
This year, we attended SIOP's annual conference in Atlanta and want to share some beneficial highlights and themes with our clients. There were many discussions with professionals and researchers on advancement of testing in light of emerging technologies. We found this to be particularly relevant as test developers who place a high value on technology in test development and the ability to realistically simulate working conditions. Here are some of the major trends discussed this year at SIOP:
Dynamic and innovative item formats
Situational judgment tests assessing managerial skills that are interactive and use technology to provide a more realistic environment are being adopted. Utilizing audio, video and text files, a candidate is presented with competing demands and required to make choices. For example, a candidate would begin their test and the screen they view would simulate the same view the candidate would get if they were sitting in an office. The candidate may have employees enter the office through the use of video, while interacting with new emails and phone calls. Research shows that these simulations are viewed favorably by candidates which in turn can be linked to other favorable evaluations, including job relatedness of the exam and the organization for which the candidate is testing.
Multimedia situational judgment tests with 3D video and motion capture
Utilizing 3D video, these tests are highly realistic and will appeal to younger generations who have grown up with technology. Motion capture is popular in the entertainment industry to create lifelike animations for movies like Avatar. These tests would theoretically be easier to customize and translate, with increased flexibility while saving time and money. However, a live actor would be needed for any customization or changes to the exam. These multimedia situational judgment tests are predictive of job performance ratings.
Computer-adaptive testing
Computer adaptive testing creates a custom test taking experience that continually evaluates the candidate's subject knowledge or any other aspect being measured. This is used currently for purposes such as college and graduate school entry exams. Essentially, no two candidates' tests are exactly the same because each subsequent question is based on the candidates' previous answer. For example, if the candidate answered a difficult question incorrectly, the system would present them with a slightly easier question next.
Selection testing will continue to evolve as technology makes more approaches possible. At Ergometrics, we strive to be the leaders in bringing new technologies and simulation advantage to our clients.