Effectiveness of Mobile Device Testing (MDT) in testing English grammar of the Slovak EFL students

Róbert Majzlík, University of Prešov, Slovakia, ID LLCE2018-335;     Abstract: Technology has become an inseparable part of our everyday life. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly widespread especially among young people. This study aims to investigate whether these mobile devices are as capable of performing grammar assessments as traditional paper and pencil tests. Although a considerable amount of literature has been published on this matter abroad, there is still a significant lack of researches carried out in the conditions of the Slovak educational system. It is, therefore, the purpose of this paper to evaluate whether there is a difference in actual students’performance in Mobile Device Testing (MDT) versus Paper Based Testing (PBT). In a 4 week-long study there were 40 high school students from a secondary school in Vranov nad Topľou divided into two groups based on the method of testing. Upon completion of both tests, the participants completed a survey evaluating both testing mediums. The study also provides recommendations towards the use of mobile applications in testing English grammar.

Key words: Mobile Device Testing (MDT); Paper Based Testing (PBT); Mobile applications; English language teaching; English grammar.