Legal Implications of Online Assessment: Issues for Educators

Abstract

This chapter provides a survey of basic legal issues that online assessment developers and users need to be aware of and account for in their assessment design, development, implementation, and interpretation activities. High-stakes assessments such as professional certification and college admissions exams are particularly vulnerable to legal challenge when there is evidence of problems with respect to validity, reliability, testing fraud, or unfair bias. The chapter provides straightforward suggestions that will help assessment developers and users avoid legal problems with their exams.