TAO

Open Assessment Technologies (OAT) is one of the few organizations working in open education for the assessment space, and OAT’s next generation digital testing system, TAO (from the French phrase meaning Computer Based Testing: Testing Assisté par Ordinateur ) is the only full-featured open source assessment platform serving Education. TAO software is published under the GNU GPL 2 license, and is built on open technical standards and interoperability frameworks. As a result TAO is opening up access to powerful technology as a solution upon which educational systems can build new approaches for measuring learning. TAO is redefining what is possible in digital assessment by offering open components, tools, and technical assistance for the entire assessment life cycle from test creation to online delivery and results reporting. This enables classrooms, schools, districts, states, ministries of education, and professional learning organizations around the world to integrate digital assessment with instruction at multiple scales, create their own interoperable assessments, and align assessment results with OER learning resources. OAT is also an industry leader and advocate for common technical standards and for promoting ed tech interoperability, including initiating the IMS Global Consortium’s Executive Board on Assessment, as well as active working group participation for QTI, LTI, Caliper, and other standards. Open source, open standards, and open possibilities are the foundation for OAT’s vision to empower next generation learning models and digital learning ecosystems that deliver on the promise of personalizing learning.