--- Forwarded Message from Greg Russak <[log in to unmask]> --- >Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:27:43 -0400 >From: Greg Russak <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: OWL Testing Software Announces New =?WINDOWS-1252?Q?=91Test_Conversion_Service=92_During_Annual_CALICO_Conference?= >To: [log in to unmask] >cc: Greg Russak <[log in to unmask]> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OWL Testing Software Announces New 'Test Conversion Service' During Annual CALICO Conference New Service Simplifies Online Migration of Language Tests and Assessments TEMPE, Ariz. (March 10, 2009) - OWL Testing Software announced a new service today at the 26th Annual Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) Conference being held at Arizona State University. The OWL Test Conversion Service will make the transition from traditional, paper- based, or other technology-based testing to OWL's Web-based platform fast, easy, and effortless for their customers in education, government, and business--while allowing continued use of the same basic test content that they have used in the past. "One of the great misconceptions among teachers, language lab directors, school administrators, and even corporate and government trainers is the amount of work required to convert their existing teaching and testing materials into an online environment like OWL," said Chris Dalessandri, OWL Testing Software's president and CEO. "By offering to convert existing content free of charge as part of the OWL Testing Software solution, we make this transition to online testing even more painless and economical." "By combining our new Test Conversion Service with the OWL Community Library, we become the only language testing software company in the world to offer a 'best of both worlds' solution: validated SOPI-type test content created by and voluntarily contributed to our Library by customers, combined with the means by which customers can repurpose their existing tests," added Greg Russak, OWL Testing Software vice president of sales. "We're pleased to offer such a unique and powerful language testing system that goes beyond the standalone, canned tests, as well as any commercial or open-source software, which is typically complicated and devoid of test content." OWL provides full functionality for the entire assessment cycle: authoring, scheduling, administering, rating, and reporting. Custom assessments are created using an intuitive online wizard and can include any number or combination of oral response, essays, cloze, completion, fill-in-the-blank, matching, multiple-choice, or short answer questions--incorporating text, graphics, audio, and video components. "OWL offers the only widely-available testing tool designed specifically for assessing all modes of communication through a single platform," Dalessandri added. "We're very pleased to make this announcement here and to have the opportunity to showcase our cutting-edge assessment technology to the people attending CALICO, as they are among the best and brightest language education professionals from the United States and around the globe." In addition to measuring a student's oral proficiency, reading and listening comprehension, and comfort level communicating in the target language; the OWL test management system allows language instructors to establish baselines against which to measure their progress over time. What's more, the Web-based system may be used anywhere there's access to the Internet-- providing flexibility across multiple offices or campuses, time zones, and even continents. About OWL Testing Software Founded in 1999, OWL Testing Software is a premier provider of affordable Web-based testing and assessment systems for academia, government, and business users. OWL's intuitive test management system simplifies the unique and complex challenges of second language acquisition--including ESL and EFL programs--and is easily applied to any subject matter in education or the workplace. Learn more at www.owlts.com. # # # OWL Testing Software 1484 Washington Road Pittsburgh, PA 15228 +1.412.436.0559 www.owlts.com Media Contacts: OWL Testing Software Brady Lutsko Communications Consultant [log in to unmask] 412.381.1105 *********************************************** LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language Learning (http://iallt.org/), and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/). Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) ***********************************************