International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
Revising the visuals in the multimedia based test items: What kind of pictures?
Fevzi İnan Dönmez 1 , fidonmez@anadolu.edu.tr
Muhterem DİNDAR 2 , mdindar@anadolu.edu.tr
Işıl Kabakçı Yurdakul 3 , isilk@anadolu.edu.tr
1 2 3 Anadolu University
Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department
The joint use of texts and graphics, called as “multimedia”, have been wide spread in many contexts as well as in
educational settings. The most common use of multimedia components have been in distribution of
informational content to learners. Also nowadays multimedia features are often being used in assessment
activities. Several internationally recognized assessments such as Test of English as Foreign Language(TOEFL),
European Computer Driving License (ECDL), Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), and also some national tests
(e.g. Turkish Middle School Attendance Exams) use multimedia in both test items and answer options
abundantly. Majority of multimedia used in aforementioned test environments are in static format. There are
some emerging questions regarding the use and quality of graphics in test environments such as the necessity of
using them, when to use them, for who they are beneficial, and the aims of using graphics.
Some taxonomies classify graphics according their use in any content. Levin (1981)’s taxonomy of graphics is
one of these frameworks in the literature. In this study, the graphics of Turkish Middle School Attendance
Exams’ (OKS & OGES) 6 th -7 th & 8 th Grade English achievement tests were examined in terms of quality, aim,
type, content and context with reference to Levin (1981)’s taxonomy. The study is expected to provide findings
that could have insights for selecting pictures to be used in the multimedia-based tests. Implications will be
addressed and further suggestions will be made in the presentation.
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