From paper and pencil- to Computer-based assessment: some issues raising in the comparison

Comparative studies on pen-and-paper and computer-based test principally focus on statistical analysis of students’ performances. In educational assessment, comparing students’ performance (in terms of right or wrong results) does not imply a comparison between the solving processes followed by students. In this paper we present an example of task analysis that allows to highlight how students’ solving processes could change in switching from paper to computer format and how these changes could be affected by the use of one environment rather than another. The aim of our study lies in identifying possible consequences that specific changes in task formulation have, in terms of students’ solution processes.