Blakeview Primary School year three and five students Ben Sherwani (left), Sarah Milburn, CallanBrook and Jordan Herbert have begun NAPLAN testing online for the first time this week. PHOTO: McKenzie Thompson
MCKENZIE THOMPSON
BLAKEVIEW Primary School years three, five and seven students have officially begun their annual National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) online testing for the very first time this week.
NAPLAN covers skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and numeracy for all Australian students in the aforementioned year groups, and also year nine.
Traditionally carried out via paper tests, students will now be able to complete their NAPLAN assessments online between May 14 and 24.
Blakeview Primary School principal Brenton Conradi said the students have had trials and practice runs to get them used to online test conditions, prior to sitting the actual tests.
“We have tried to do all of the tests in the morning, when the children are a bit fresher, so they can do their very best,” he said.
“We want our students to be successful and feel like they are giving it a good shot, rather than feeling anxious.”
Blakeview Primary School assistant principal and NAPLAN co-ordinator Peri Simpson said she there are more benefits by testing online.
“The students are more engaged,” she said.
“The online test is more student friendly; they would rather do it on a computer.
“When we’ve done our practice tests, we have students who are willing to participate, rather than not give it a go.
“I think this is because it is on a laptop.
“The staff have been very supportive and open to the idea of online testing.
“The NAPLAN team also has provided us with documents, checklists and training to go down the right pathway of how to implement it.”
Mrs Simpson said another advantage is being able to receive student results a lot earlier.
“This way, the teachers will be able to use this information as a way of tracking students’ growth,” she said.
“We will have up to 90 students over three classrooms who will be sitting the test at the same time.
“Time management, from my point of view, will be easier.”
It is anticipated most schools around the country will move from NAPLAN paper tests to online by 2020.
