Talk and gesture as process data

This paper examines the topic of talk and gesture in computer-based tests, and what it can tell us about assessment performance. The paper describes a micro-analytic approach, and uses video-ethnographic methods to investigate data that is not captured by conventional assessment scores or by computer-generated log files. The paper presents transcripts from assessment events in the OECD Adult Skills Survey (PIAAC) in Slovenia. The transcripts describe a three-way interaction between interviewer, respondent and computer. They enable a comparison of the roles of the computer and interviewer in the management of assessment quality and engagement. The paper demonstrates the ways that interaction in testing situations influences test performance, and how respondents make cognitive-affective decisions about their engagement. In conclusion, the paper considers how process data on talk and gesture can inform validation practice.