Steven J. Howard|Hana Burianová|J. H. H. Ehrich|Lisa Kervin|Alysha M. Calleia|Emma Barkus|John Carmody|Stephen Humphry
Behavioral and fMRI evidence of the differing cognitive load of domain-specific assessments
University of Wollongong|National Imaging Facility|University of Queensland|Monash University|University of Wollongong|University of Wollongong|University of Wollongong|Wollongong Hospital|University of Western Australia
standardsreferenced educational reform increased prevalence standardized testing however whether tests accurately measure students competencies questioned may due domainspecific assessments placing differing domaingeneral cognitive load testtakers investigate possibility functional magnetic resonance imaging fmri used identify quantify neural correlates performance current international standardized methods spelling assessment outofscanner testing used examine differences assessment results results provide converging evidence spelling assessments differed cognitive load placed testtakers b performance decreased increasing cognitive load assessment c brain regions associated working memory highly activated performance assessments higher cognitive load findings suggest assessment design optimize cognitive load placed testtakers ensure students results accurate reflection true levels competency