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ELTeach Guide for Test Centers


HEINLE CENGAGE
ELTeach Data Collection
Test Center
Administration Guide

Download Complete ELTeach Guide For Test Centers as a MS Word document


Table of Contents

1. Test Center Hardware and Software Requirements

2. Participant Administration Process

3. > Audio Recording Best Practices and Tips

4. Causes of Poor Audio Recording

5. Logging Into MyELT and Completing the Test



Audio Recording Best Practices and Tips
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In order to minimize the number of responses that have poor audio quality, we would like to recommend a set of best practices for test center administrators during the data collection. These recommendations are also listed below, and are separated into actions that should occur prior to the startup of data collection and ones that should occur during the data collection.


Recommendations for Test Center Administrators Prior to Startup of Data Collection

  1. Become familiar with the examples of poor audio quality as well as their potential causes and solutions.

  2. Examine the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties at each workstation and follow the instructions to turn off the "Microphone Boost" option for the microphone input device.

  3. Use the MyELT platform to record at least one test response at each workstation in the test center before the start-up of testing at your location. While recording this test response, be sure to follow the recommended guidelines for headset microphone placement listed below:
    1. Place the microphone close to the mouth, but not directly in front of it

    2. Listen to the test response to verify that the sound quality is good

    3. If the sound quality is bad, adjust the settings in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties and record additional test responses until the sound quality is acceptable. In particular, if the sound is too loud or too soft, adjust the microphone input volume accordingly.

  4. What to do if sound problems persist:
    1. If you continue to have audio problems, contact us at datacollection@cengage.com

  5. Recommendations for Test Center Administrators During Data Collection
    1. While participants are recording their responses, ensure that the room has as little ambient noise as possible. If multiple participants are recording at the same time, position them as far away from each other as possible in the room.

    2. Tell the participants about proper headset microphone placement. The headset microphone should not be placed directly in front of the mouth. This point is very important, and should be followed closely in order to obtain optimal audio quality. The microphone should be positioned 1 - 2 inches to the side of or below the corner of the mouth, but not directly in the path of the airstream.

    3. Instruct the participants to use the audio quality testing capability in the MyELT platform before starting the data collection. Have them record a test response and listen to it. If they detect any serious audio quality problems (severe static, very soft or very loud sound), have them contact the test center administrator to fix the problem before proceeding.

  6. Examples of Acceptable Audio Recordings
    1. Sample 1

    2. Sample 2

    3. Sample 3
      *Note: This file has more ambient noise than is ideal but the overall quality is acceptable.

    4. Sample 4




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