wePowder Academy

About the tests

A test model has been developed for the Mountain Academy in collaboration with Rotterdam University. This model ensures the quality of the assessments in the Mountain Academy and ensures a reliable and valid review of the level of the student. Besides the two core standards reliability and validity, we also took the standards efficiency and authenticity into account.

Reliability

A test is reliable if it's specific, objective and differentiated. This is ensured by using a comprehensive set of multiple choice questions that exclude subjective judgments by the evaluator. Different key stages of testing are used, knowingly and deliberately, in order to differentiate. From the common educational stadard taxonomy of Bloom the learning levels 'knowledge', 'insight' and 'practice' are included in the assessments of the Academy. The questions are categorized within these levels and as a result it's possible to differentiate within a module to a certain level. The knowledge questions are directed to the reproducing of the offered knowledge. The insight questions tell if the student can give a meaning to this knowledge and the practice questions assess if the student can use the knowledge or can give a meaning to the knowledge, and apply the knowledge to his new or anomalous situations.

Validity

With the standard validity, the point is to actually measure the intended purpose. This is assured by working with a key matrix in which sets of questions per learning objective/component have been developed and where the pre-mentioned taxonomical levels are taken into account. This ensures that the questions are a representative reflection of the learning content of the module.

Efficiency

The testing is efficient because it is very accessible (online) and the design, layout and instruction texts are very clear and unambiguous and the questions are supported by images, if necessary.

Literature

In writing the Mountain Academy we have used various websites and even more literature. If you want to delve further into snow safety then the list below is absolutely worth the read.