Computer-based assessment of reading skills

Reading skills are important prerequisites for successful participation in modern information-oriented societies. Yet, there are only few instruments for diagnosis of reading skills in trained adult readers (for example, university students). The current paper presents a newly designed computer-based instrument for this target group. The instrument includes seven subtests relating to the components of van Dijk and Kintsch´s (1983) hierarchical model of text comprehension (propositional strategies, local coherence strategies, macrostrategies, schematic strategies, rhethorical strategies). For all subtests, accuracy and speed of responses are recorded and combined into integrated test scores. The integrated test scores reflect the efficiency of component processes of reading comprehension. Evidence from several studies (N = 152) for the instrument´s reliability, factorial, and criterion validity is reported.