Development of SPOT-WEB and Research on Test-takers' Behavior

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We invented a unique Japanese language test, SPOT (Simple Performance-Oriented Test), in 1991. It requires test-takers to listen to numbers of sentences on audio-tape in natural speed and to fill one hiragana in the blank missing in each sentence on the answer sheet. SPOT has been analyzed from several viewpoints such as its validity, reliability, etc. The research of SPOT shows that its score ranks learners by measuring their automatic processing ability. The paper version of SPOT is now widely used among Japanese language teachers and SLA researchers because of its practicality.We have recently developed web-based SPOT in cooperation with system engineers. Prior to its practical use, the program has implemented various revisions and corrections of software frameworks and I/O formats on the PC screen pointed out by both teachers and test-takers.The test server sends question items to a test-taker's terminal PC, collects the test results and saves them in it. The tester/teacher is able to access the test server and receive the results of his/her test-takers. The security of the whole test system is protected by setting ID and password for individual test takers and teachers. The summarized result indicates not only the scores of the whole test, but also the raw data of each test-taker's answering time and the answer for each question item. The data-base of the results can be easily handled on Excel sheet.The scores of the web-based SPOT have been compared with those of paper version SPOT. The SPOT-WEB proved strong co-relation with the SPOT-paper & pencil, and its validity was confirmed. SPOT is now practically used by many institutions of both domestic and foreign countries through internet.