COMPUTER-BASED ASSESSMENT (CBA) VS. PAPER/PENCIL-BASED ASSESSMENT (PPBA): AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDE OF IRANIAN EFL LEARNERSʹʹ READING COMPREHENSION

To examine the impact of transitioning traditional reading comprehension assessments to computer-based, 66 male English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners aged 8 to 12 years were assigned to take two different twenty-minutes reading comprehension tests with the same level of difficulties on paper and computer screen using scrolling text to navigate through pages. They also completed an attitude questionnaire to reveal their attitudes towards computerized testing. The findings revealed that there are no significant differences in reading comprehension scores across testing modes. In addition, evaluating the Likert type questionnaire revealed that the majority of students prefer to take the test on computer. The findings also suggest that the amount of reading comprehension among children does not differ considerably while switching from paper/pencil-based assessment into computer-based assessment. Hence, schools with no or limited computers and the Internet facilities should not be concerned about the students’ performance and their level of achievement.