Assessment

NWEA Launches MAP Assessment iPad App

• By Leila Meyer
• 03/10/16

The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) has launched a new iPad app, called MAP Testing, that is designed to let students use a touchscreen to take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and MAP for Primary Grades (MPG) assessments.

Primary grade children find it easier to use a touchscreen than a keyboard and mouse, according to NWEA. "We've received over a thousand requests from teachers and administrators to create an iPad app that allows students to take assessments on touchscreen devices, particularly for younger kids who are most comfortable using this type of technology," said Matt Chapman, CEO of NWEA, in a news release.

The MAP and MPG are both computer adaptive assessments aligned to state standards. Answering a question correctly results in subsequent questions that are more challenging, and answering a question incorrectly results in subsequent questions that are easier.

Although the MAP and MPG are not timed, the MAP was designed to be completed in less than an hour, and the MPG was designed to be complete in less than 30 minutes. NWEA suggests administering the assessments three to four times per year. Teachers receive student results immediately, including information about the student's "achievement, growth and areas for further learning to inform instruction," stated a news release from NWEA.

According to NWEA, the experience of taking the MAP or MPG assessments on a touchscreen is very similar to taking them with a keyboard and mouse, and the adaptive nature of the assessments is the same with both interfaces.

The MAP Testing app is available as a free download on the Apple App Store. Further information about the app and NWEA's assessment products can be found on NWEA's site.