PROCTOR GUIDE. Websites Proctor Interface (Test Management): do not attempt to visit a bookmarked version of this site

Transcription

1 Websites Proctor Interface (Test Management): do not attempt to visit a bookmarked version of this site Student Interface (Test Delivery): do not attempt to visit a bookmarked version of this site Users Portal: ITS Technical Support (800) Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM EST: Press 3 Outside of business hours: Press 4 for immediate attention

2 Steps to Administer the CLA The following list summarizes the proctoring procedures that occur each day of testing. 1. Prior to testing... Run the System Check to verify your network capacity and ability to use the secure browser, available at and in the Help section of the Proctor Interface 2. Before students arrive... Make sure you have the phone number for your institution s computer services/help desk in case technical issues surface. On the day of testing, log in to the Proctor Interface and set up the day s session: Go to Log in using the authorized username and password Select Test Delivery Enter a Session Name and select the Test Administration Click Create Session, which will bring you to the Proctor Session page Record the Test Session Number Write the session number on the classroom board Note the location of the closest restroom, but request that students use the facilities prior to beginning the CLA Place a few pieces of scrap paper at each computer station (optional) At each workstation, open the Internet browser (recommended: Internet Explorer or Safari) to and disable the pop-up blocker 3. Administering the CLA to Students... Take attendance and place a sign on the outside of the classroom door noting that CLA testing is in progress When ready to begin the assessment, students should either watch the Student Overview video or the Proctor Script (found in this guide) must be read aloud to students Direct students to Assist students with downloading of the secure browser Provide students with the Test Session Number Use the Waiting for Approval table to approve students into the CLA Verify the entire roster of students and click Approve All Waiting; or Approve students individually by clicking Approve next to each name If students ask you questions during the exam, refer them to the Help button on their screen If any irregularities occur during the test session, never create another student profile. If the irregularity seems to be technical in nature, call ITS Technical Support at (800) or CLAsupport@testsys.com. Contact your CLA Rep if you encounter an irresolvable problem. 4. When students have completed the CLA... Collect all scrap paper before students leave or call your CLA Rep to confirm all testing at your institution is finished Additional Notes All institutions are only assigned to one testing event. Contact your CLA Rep if you have any questions All CCLA students will need to take the Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) after completing the CLA If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your CLA Rep. Our team phone number is (212)

3 On the Day of Testing This section details the steps necessary to proceed with the CLA on the scheduled date and time of a test session. Remember to conduct the System Check prior to testing; this can be found in the Help section of the Proctor Interface, and further information is available in this document. Checking Materials On the day of testing, we suggest you bring the following: Proctor Guide, and the following sections in particular: CLA Configuration Requirements Pencils and scraps of paper (for students taking the SLE, if applicable) We encourage you to distribute copies of the Proctor Guide to all proctors for reference at each test session. Creating a Session Enter the Proctor Interface, then select Test Delivery on the left, which will bring you to the screen shown below. This page will show created sessions for the day, in the format seen below, as well as past test sessions within the current testing window. This information will clear at the end of each test administration. 2

4 Creating a Session (continued) The three steps required to create a new session are outlined below. As a reminder, sessions must be created on the day of testing (not before) and will expire at 11:59 PM local time on the day of the session. 1. Enter a Session Name under Create a New Session. The name of the session can be anything you wish. We recommend using unique session names for each individual session; as an example, you may name your session after the proctor, locations, and the time of testing. 2. Select your CLA testing event from the Test Administration drop-down menu. Standard four-year institutions and twoyear institutions will select the Fall [current year] CLA Test Administration in the fall testing window and the Spring [current year] CLA Test Administration in the spring testing window. Proctors must use additional vigilance to ensure that only students who need the SLE continue on to that portion of the test. Administrators must provide a list of students who need the SLE to be included in the representative sample. (Please see your MOA for SLE costs at your institution.) 3. Click Create Session 3

5 Proctor Session Details (continued) The next screenshot illustrates what the page will look like if there are students waiting for proctor approval. You have two options to approve the students into the CLA: you may click Approve next to each individual student name, or you may click Approve All Waiting (top right of Waiting for Approval table) to approve the students as a group. To view a roster of the students who tested within the active CLA testing window, select Test Administrations on the left-hand menu and then click on the hyperlinked number of students tested under the Students column. This will bring up the Students Tested Page, illustrated in the next image. 4

6 Standardizing Testing: Proctor Script or Student Overview Video Proctors have two options before students enter the Student Interface: 1. Read the Proctor Script below or 2. Instruct students to watch the Student Overview video before they download the secure browser. To do so, students must click the icon for the Student Overview video on Then students should download the secure browser and continue to log into the CWRA exam Please read the script in the bordered boxes below to students when you are ready to begin the CLA. It is important to adhere to this script because it enables standardization of testing environments within and across institutions. Thank you for coming today to take the Collegiate Learning Assessment. Your performance on this test will help (name of college or university) assess how it contributes to your critical thinking and writing skills. It is important that you put forth your best effort on this assessment. As a test-taker you will complete one of two tasks: a Performance Task or an Analytic Writing Task. If you are issued a Performance Task, you will be presented with a document library and a series of questions. If you are presented with an Analytic Writing Task, you will be issued two separate prompts. Because the task types vary, the amount of time each of you will need to complete your task will likely vary, as well. The entire testing process will take up to 90 minutes. For test security reasons, we ask that you do not discuss the specific contents of the exam with other students. Testing will occur through a secure Internet browser; you will not be able to access websites or computer files while testing. Please launch the CLA by going to (or clicking the CLA icon if one appears on your computer s desktop). When you are ready, please enter the following Test Session Number:, and fill out the requested information in the student profile presented to you. Please do not talk during the assessment. Raise your hand if you have any questions or difficulty with your computer. If for some reason you are unintentionally logged out of the assessment, please notify me immediately. SLE Proctor Script Addition *If your institution is using the SLE read the following before continuing with the above Proctor Script: The entire testing process will take up to 105 minutes. After completing either the Performance Task or Analytic Writing Task, you will complete a 3-minute tutorial followed by a 12-minute academic ability test. In order for your CLA exam to be considered valid, it is important that you complete the academic ability test without interruption. It is vital that proctors do not comment on, or add in any way to, the assessment. During the session, if the student has a task-related question, say, Do the best you can or refer them to the Help button on their computer screen. 5

7 Student Interface Student Login Instructions This section outlines the CLA experience from the student perspective. To begin the assessment, students computers must be open to the CLA Student Interface: As a precaution, please: Do not allow students to use a bookmarked version of this website Disable pop-up blockers on all computers prior to testing Secure Browser Students will take the CLA through a secure browser, which prohibits access to any other programs. To download the secure browser, students testing on a PC will click the Download Button on the Student Interface. They will select Run to access the CLA in secure browser mode. Mac users will click the Download Button, prompting the browser to automatically begin downloading to a default location (usually the desktop). If the computer does not automatically unzip the file, double-click the file to decompress the secure browser. At this point, Mac users may double-click the icon on the desktop and begin the CLA. Session Number Students will enter in the relevant Test Session Number provided by the proctor and click Submit. Next, students will enter their addresses. Student score notifications will be sent to the addresses provided here unless the institution indicates otherwise. In most cases, when asked if they have a password, students should select No, I have not registered. Students who have previously taken the CLA (in most cases as freshman) hould select Yes I Have a Password and enter the same addresses and passwords they used when they first tested. Students will be asked to complete a Student Profile. Accurate information in the profile is necessary to facilitate the subsequent collection of CLA registrar data. If your institution is using the Local Survey, students will be presented with all Local Survey questions at the bottom of the profile screen. Response choices are presented to the students in the form of a drop-down menu. With Student Profile information entered, students should click Submit at the bottom of their screens. 6

8 Student Login Instructions (continued) After completing the login profile, students will then see the following screen. They will not be able to begin the CLA until they receive proctor approval. Proctor Approval At this point, the proctor must approve students for access to the CLA. As a reminder, this process takes place on the Proctor Session Page which appears after you have created and saved the relevant session, on the day of testing. This page automatically refreshes every 30 seconds. You must approve each student into the exam by either selecting Approve All Waiting or you may approve students individually by clicking on Approve next to their names. 7

9 Configuration Requirements Please remember to conduct the System Check prior to your testing session(s). The System Check can be accessed using the following URL: The System Check can also be accessed via the Help section of the Proctor Interface. This page includes a list of supported and recommended browsers, connection speeds, and hardware. PC *Mac Student Interface Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher Safari 1.3 or higher Proctor Interface Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher Safari 3.0 or higher Firefox 2.0 or higher Chrome 3.0 or higher Safari 1.3 or higher Firefox 2.0 or higher Chrome 5.0 or higher *Mac Users, Please Note: The Copy and Paste option does not move text between response boxes on a Mac. A student may copy and paste within a response box, however the cache clears between questions so no information can be copied into a separate response box. Internet Connection While dial-up modems are supported, we recommend a broadband connection (DSL, Cable, or T1) for best results. Monitor Size We recommend a 17 monitor or larger. Resolution Tests can be delivered at any resolution. Most are designed for resolutions of 800x600 or better. We recommend at least 1024x768 resolution. Color Depth On Windows, the highest resolution is 32-bit color. 97% of users have 16-bit color or greater. Although 8-bit color resolution is supported, it may not present complex graphics perfectly. We recommend a 16-bit color depth or greater. Please contact your CLA Rep if you plan on using: Thin Clients Virtual Machines XBoxes Cloud Environments Remote Desktops Laptops WiFi for test delivery Tablets 8

10 Common Testing Issues and Troubleshooting Through feedback collected from institutions, we have compiled three common testing issues and solutions. Scenario 1: While testing in the Student Interface, a student has clicked through the test, moving past the yellow warning screen that says: Warning! Time Remaining. This is the end of the task. You have not used all the time allotted for completing this task. Once you click Next you will not be allowed to return to this task. If you would like to review your responses, please use the BACK button. Click the Next button only if you are finished with the task. In this scenario, the student will appear as complete on the Proctor Session Page. Solution: If this occurs, the proctor should call ITS Tech Support who can then grant the student access back into the CLA. If the student has already left the computer lab, your institution has 48 hours for that student to receive access to the CLA again and complete the assessment. Scenario 2: A student s computer fails during testing, causing the student to be logged off of the Student Interface, or a power outage occurs during testing. Solution: If this happens during testing, your institution will have one week for the student to log back in using the same username and password. The student s work and location in the exam will be saved automatically (the system automatically saves student answers every 30 seconds while testing). The remaining time will resume when the student logs back in. Communication Errors If you are receiving communication errors, restart with your local Internet connection. This doesn t necessarily mean that the connection is down, but it usually means that the connection was running at a high level at that time and it caused the connection to slow down to a point where it timed out. This can happen because your Internet connection is shared with other people around you, so the more people that are using the Internet, the slower your connection will be. When your connection slows down, it could cause your test link to disconnect. This is probably what happened with your test connection, thus causing the error message you received. You should be able to click OK to continue testing when those messages appear. If you continue to have issues, you should close out of the test altogether and restart your computer. When the computer powers up again, please log in and restart your test and you will pick up where you left off. If this continues to happen, please contact ITS Tech Support. 9