Running head: TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

Timed or Not Timed: Are Students Actually Ready?

Erica Berry
The University of North Texas
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of
EDCI 5320
Dr. Frances van Tassell
June 16, 2013

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

Abstract
In a perfect world, teachers could educate students without pressures of time and unequal
assessments. However, in the real world teachers and students are haunted by the burden of
measured and standardized tests. When high stakes are put on these tests, we as teachers are
forced to make choices, especially when we know that our students are fully capable. Teachers
have to decide between advancing our students knowledge and content based learning in the
most constructive way, or teach the test, emphasize formulaic writing and suppress thorough
thinking. This research study looks at the differences between timed testing and non-timed
testing, evaluates the results, and includes feedback from students. The study takes place in a
suburb just outside the city of Dallas, and it is meant to be used as a resource for reconsidering
the timed testing final exam for developmental writing programs throughout this community
college setting.
Keywords: timed, non-timed, testing

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

Introduction to the Study

Once a student graduates from high school and makes the decision to go for his/her
higher education, he/she, along with the rest of society, assumes that he/she is ready for those
college courses. What has been learned is that many are not ready for even the basics. It is for
these students that developmental classes were established to make these students college-ready.
What exactly makes students college-ready is a huge question that has become subjective and
varied across many campuses. The particular campus I work for has created its own standards
and requirements for passing from developmental into basic level college classes. More
precisely, my department deals with developmental writing, and getting students ready for the
ENGL 1301 course. Our curriculum development coordinators have decided the ultimate test is
a 55-minute timed writing given at the end of the last course in the developmental course
stepping stone. This timed writing is graded by the coordinators and must follow strict
guidelines for a finished essay that would be acceptable in an ENGL 1301 class. The problem
with this type of assessment is that ENGL 1301 papers are not timed, yet we are only allowing
students 55 minutes to complete a full five-paragraph essay with pre-writing, drafting, revising
and editing, all with very strict guidelines in this end-of-course assessment. In reality, students
may be fully capable of writing an ENGL 1301 level paper, but are unable to prove it because, in
a timed environment, students are under too much pressure. This timed pressure seems
unnecessary when there is no point at which ENGL 1301 or even higher needs to work under
such extreme time constraints.
Statement of the Problem
The large majority of students in each of my classes will fail their final timed writing
essay, and, therefore, will not be eligible or ready to take basic college classes. This is not

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

because they are inadequate writers; it is because that, in a timed setting, with large amounts of
pressure and rules, they are unable to complete such a large task. Given the same amount of time
normally given to write an essay, they are able to complete their final argument essay while
following all of the rules. With so many students failing, and unable to attend credit classes,
students are becoming discouraged and failing to continue their education. For the ones who do
not fail, and actually manage to pass, they actually feel disheartened by the idea of so much
pressure only becoming worse in the next level class. This type of cycle is discouraging to many
students and can be destructive for them.
Research Question
This study will address the following question: Is there a relationship between timed
versus non-timed writing samples and college students' writing sample scores?
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to find out whether timed writings are an effective tool for
assessment in deciding college readiness, or if they are detrimental to a majority of students,
thereby eliminating any of their usefulness. I hope to show that timed writings are unnecessary
and do not serve the purpose they are intended for.
Significance of the Study
Although the use of timed writings has been in effect for a while, the guidelines keep
getting stricter and more difficult. With the parameters being so strict and severe, the timed
aspect of the final exam is becoming a hindrance. This becomes important because, I believe,
the amount of students who will be labeled college-ready will increase significantly if the
findings of the study reveal that there is a negative relationship between timed tests and student

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

writing achievement. If more students become ready then they will be more likely to continue
their higher education journey. This will allow teachers to teach more content and strategy
versus focusing on racing through papers. Students will be able to concentrate on important
aspects of writing, including grammar, correct and fulfilling revision, and actual correct modal
writing.
Assumptions of the Study
The primary assumption for this study is that all the students both do their best on nontimed writings and on timed writings. The study also assumes that different prompt questions
will exemplify the same level of difficulty as each other. Lastly, the study assumes that the
guidelines (scoring rubric) set for grading the timed and non-timed argumentative essays is an
effective guideline for assessing college-readiness.
Limitations of the Study
There are many limitations to this study. One of them is sample size. Classes run from 815 students and I teach from 1-4 DWRI-0093 remedial classes a semester. Students at this level
are also very unreliable and can, and will, drop the course or stop attending at a moments notice.
I am also unable to compare timed and non-timed writings on a completely fair and impartial
basis since their prompts will necessarily be different.
Pertinent Terms
The following terms used in this study will be defined below.
DWRI -0093. This is the last level of the developmental writing courses before being
passed into ENGL 1301. This level is the only level that has a pass/fail timed writing final exam.

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

Chapter Two
Review of the Literature
For many years, teachers have assumed that timed testing is detrimental to students, and
is not a truly valid method of assessment. This is an acknowledged understanding, one that even
Worden conceded, It is widely assumed that the constraints of timed essay exams will make it
virtually impossible for students to engage in the major hallmarks of the writing processin
testing situations (2009, p. 157). Because the idea that timed testing is unfavorable to students is
widely assumed, many presume that it is because of substantial research, yet, Feinburg admits
that there have not been many researched studies done or any kind of proof that supports this
supposition (2004). Often, it is that these are just judgments teachers can make after seeing
firsthand the results of timing students, whether it is the test anxiety, the ability level results, or
the decrease in motivation, all due to time pressures. Yet, Younkin found that those receiving
extra time generally earned higher scores (1986, p. 865) Despite this acknowledgement, it
was Feinburg who wanted to have more concrete answers after reading Younkins findings, ones
that were not generalizations. He wanted hard facts and provable research. In light of the scarce
research, Feinberg elected to do an experiment on his own students in an effort to find out if time
really mattered to his students performance. Teaming up with another teacher, Feinberg analyzed
multiple semesters of students scores and was not surprised to find that given individual
differences in human capital and test difficulty, it does appear that spending more time on a test
increases a typical students grade (2004, p. 867).
Although there is always someone saying that timed testing is not valid, we also have
researchers and academic specialists who say that, no matter whether it is perfect or not, a timed
essay exam has been defined as preferable if only one measure for placement into composition

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

courses will be used, and if the only alternative is a multiple choice test (Hoyt & Matzen, 2004,
p. 3). Hoyt and Matzen both admitted that timed essay tests have their drawbacks. Timed essays
carry their own set of issues, such as the reliability of essay scores, biases of essay prompts, and
prescribed five-paragraph essay responses but will continue to be more indicative of students
writing abilities compared to multiple-choice test scores (p. 3). So, despite declaring that
timed testing is not good, they still advocate it in opposition to the alternative. Research can
become very contradictory, yet understandable, when it comes to educational assessments. Often,
researchers acknowledge that there will be no perfect answer; teachers just have to make do.
Gavin Brown asserted that the conditions of the essay examination suggest that placing a large
weight on the quality of written communication may reduce the validity of essay examination
scores (2010, p. 277). So, because of the fact that written communication is timed, it becomes
invalid? Speaking of validity, since when did time have anything to do with ability? Just because
a turtle cannot cross the road in 10 seconds does not mean he is not able.
However, what if the content of these assessments is not even valid? Is that not the point
of an assessment? Even if students performances on the timed tests were no different than their
performance on the untimed test, would it matter if timed testing was proven an invalid form of
assessment for the teaching that is taking place? Dorothy Worden (2009) summarized it best
when saying that there are two big movements that have taken place. First, an increased
importance is being placed on the process of writing within the classroom, and the second is the
prominent use of timed writings to evaluate. Wolcott asserts, The constraints of a typical testing
situation often work at cross-purposes with current writing instruction theories (1987, p.
40). Because of this Worden asserts that the timed writing exam gives credence to the

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

assumption that the context of the timed essay exam renders any serious engagement with the
writing process nearly impossible (2009, p. 158).
If assessments are not actually measuring students and what they are being taught, is that
not the very definition of invalidity? Tim Caudery, in agreeing with Raimes, outlined the idea
that teachers have been emphasizing writing skills in that they involve more than training in
producing grammatically correct sentences... it has been pointed out that the process of
composing is often a long drawn-out affair, involving both the formulation and manipulation of
ideas (1990, p. 122). Raimes originally asserted that Time is a crucial element of the writing
process, writers need to have time to make decisions, time to play around with ideas, time to
construct and reconstruct sentencesTime should not be a constraint (1983, p. 21-22).
As a writing teacher, I constantly encourage multiple drafts and extensive prewriting,
organization and revision, but none of these skills I am teaching are being assessed. On the
contrary, these important skills are being squashed. Caudery values the opinion of Braddock who
states, It seems ridiculously brief for a high school or college student to write anything
thoughtful (1963, p. 9). If teachers are teaching the writing skills as a process, then why are
we assessing something where the process is impossible? Caudery summarily maintained that,
if it is assumed that the test is a measure of ability to write in English in a non-examination
situation- for example, in writing course work essays - then there are serious grounds for
questioning the validity of the timed examination essay (2009, p. 123).
In essence, valid tests constitute tests that actually assess what is being taught in the
classroom. So, to use timed writings, I must teach that all writings must be done in a hurry,
without forethought, organization or thoughtful insight. Or, I can teach how to write using a

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

thoughtful process, and not use time constraints. If I mix the two, does that not mean my
assessment method has become invalid?
Gavin Brown agreed by stating that,
Contrary to good writing practice, the examination essay is a first draft piece of writing; it
has not been read by a peer, no feedback has been given and no external tools for editing
or proofing were allowedand does not represent fairly or accurately the full range of a
students writing ability or even thinking. (2010, p. 277)
And how can it? Timing testing puts more than students knowledge and ability to the test; it tests
students motivation, anxiety, and willingness to continue.
Jing Chen wrote her dissertation on the effects of test anxiety, time pressure, ability and
gender, and after conducting multifaceted experiments, not only looking for relationships with
time pressure by comparing timed versus untimed testing, she also delved into the anxiety
associated with the timed testing and the aftermath of failure and success. Not only did Chens
research lead her to the conclusion that time pressure appears to create debilitating effects of
students of all ability levels, but also that in the timed groups students are more likely than the
untimed groups to report random guessing and early quitting (2004, p. 200, 198). So, it seems
that using timed testing does more harm than good, does not even test the content being taught,
and encourages practice that is not encouraged in assessment.
Timed writings are not valid, nor accurate by way of time constraints, nor content, and
may actually be detrimental to students, academically and emotionally. Although many findings
by the few studies that have been done may contradict each other, we often find that a teacher
just knows. Teachers know what students are capable of, yet are constantly subjecting students to

TIMED OR NOT TIMED: ARE STUDENTS ACTUALLY READY?

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subpar assessments and devastating standards that will cause anxiety, decrease educational drive
and even skew the acknowledgement of students actual abilities.

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Chapter 3
Methodology
Research Design
The design of this action research study will be a case study methodology. For
quantitative measures, numerical data will be collected in the form of rubric scores from four
timed writing samples, two of which will be timed. There will also be a student survey, and an
open discussion board used to understand thoughts and perceptions of the timed versus untimed
tests.
Measures
This study will utilize four different sets of argument prompts. Each prompt will be
designed to mirror each other in difficulty, wording, and common topic knowledge. As writing
samples are turned in, they will each be graded by two different trained independent graders who
have no bias to the class. The graders will use a grading rubric that the participants have seen
and understand. The rubric has five categories: Introduction and thesis statement topic sentences
with transitions, body paragraph content, conclusion, and grammar. Each of these categories are
rated on four levels: unacceptable, poor, good and excellent. There is also a minimum
expectations for the essays requiring correct heading with title, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font,
double spaced, paragraphs indented, and no use of first or second person. Essays will not even
be graded, and will automatically fail if these expectations are not met. Graders will grade all six
of the same participants writing samples to ensure an even grading for each participant.
Participants

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This study will utilize a nonequivalent control group design and will involve
approximately 30 participants from a large community college in a large metroplex. The
population will be multi-cultural as it will be composed of a majority of Hispanic, and a minority
of African-American students, non-Hispanic Caucasian and random other ethnicities, often from
Africa. Because this is a case study, there is no single control group or experimental group; all
participants will play a part in the study. These students will be comprised of two sections of the
same Developmental Writing classroom with the same teacher. All of the participants will be
comprised of a convenience sample as there will be no random selection or assignment.
Treatment
Since this is a case study, there is no treatment for these participants.
Procedure
In -class lectures, discussions, workshops, note-taking and quizzes will be given to each
participant throughout the Fall 2013 semester. Practice writings will be submitted by participants
and feedback will be given from the instructor. In the last two weeks of the semester, four
writing prompts will be given to the participants at separate times. Each writing sample will be
given two days apart. After each writing sample is returned, grades and feedback will be given
to students. The last two prompts will be given in a 55 minute timed environment. As the
researcher, I will then analyze the writing rubric scores to determine if students are more
successful in the quality of their writing when required to write in non-timed settings versus
timed settings. The significance of the study will be determined by changes in test scores and
feedback between the first two papers and the last two papers, essentially comparing the results
between timed testing and non-timed testing.

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Summary
This study will take place over two semesters, with the procedure being repeated in the
spring semester in the same manner. This study will compare the difference in timed versus nontimed testing and show the level of achievement of students with or without the pressures of
time.

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References
Braddock, R., Lloyd-Jones, R., and Schoer, L. (1963). Research in written composition. Urbana,
IL: National Council of Teacher of English.
Brown, G. T. (2010). The validity of examination essays in higher education: Issues and
responses. Higher Education Quarterly, 64(3), 276-291. Retrieved June 16, 2013, from
the Academic Search Complete database.
Caudery, T. (1990). The validity of timed essay tests in the assessment of writing skills. ELT
Journal, 44(2), 122-131. Retrieved June 16, 2013, from the Oxford Journals database.
Chen, J. (2004). Effects of test anxiety, time pressure, ability and gender on response aberrance.
Ohio State University.
Feinberg, R. (2004). Does more time improve test scores in micro principles? Applied
Economics, 11, 865-867. Retrieved June 16, 2013, from the Taylor and Francis Online
database.
Matzen, R., & Hoyt, J. (2004). Basic writing placement with holistically scored essays: research
evidence. Journal of Developmental Education, 28(1), 2-34. Retrieved June 16, 2013,
from the Academic Search Complete database.
Raimes, A. 1983. Techniques in teaching writing. New York: Oxford University Press.
Worden, D. L. (2009). Finding process in product: Prewriting and revision in timed essay
responses. Assessing Writing, 14(3), 157-177. Retrieved June 16, 2013, from the Science
Direct Freedom Collection database.

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Younkin, W. F. (1986) Speededness as a source of test bias for non-native English speakers on
the college level academic skills test, Doctoral Dissertation, University of Miami.

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