Online Exams Using iPads Dr. Christina Gitsaki Center for Educational Innovation Zayed University, Dubai, UAE

Case Study Higher Education Institution 17 Colleges Foundational Course 6,500 students, 350 English teachers Exit: IELTS 5+ iPad Initiative 1-to-1 iPads for students and teachers Paperless classroom Digital resources

Challenges in Teaching Resources: Various levels of interactivity Reading: Lengthy texts required excessive scrolling Writing: Fitting touch keyboard and text on the screen Feedback on writing

Challenges in Assessment Security Software that promised security did not protect the security of the online exam. The software gave notifications when students exited the exam. Used Guided Access: Time-consuming (teacher entering password before and after exam on each student’s iPad). Confusing for students (some students left exam room without the teacher exiting Guided Access and they could not use their iPad). System Specifications Server crashed Some students’ exams shut down automatically and they had to start again from the beginning. Some students’ responses to the exam questions were not saved.

Challenges in Assessment Discrepancy between How we Teach and How we Assess: Online Exams vs. IELTS preparation typing on iPad vs. writing using pen and paper New writing genres emerging from use of iPads Format Issues Blackboard allowed only certain formats for exam questions. Exams were designed to fit those formats rather than to fit the specific language objectives of the exam. Exam questions reduced to MCQs. Reading: excessive scrolling could potentially increase reading time and decrease reading accuracy.

Exam Results iPad Initiative Evaluation 18-month project (3 semesters) Data collection at the end of each semester Self-reported data and exam results Regression Analysis: Reading and Writing Performance: Doing vocabulary activities on the iPad in and out of class (best predictor) Being motivated to use the iPad for learning English Using the iPad for English study at home

IELTS Results Frequency and Type of in-Class use of iPads

IELTS Exams Frequency and Type of out-of-class Use of iPads

Conclusion Current practices for evaluating the impact of technology in education need broadening as they may not measure the full extent of the impact. Standardized test scores say little about how to improve technology’s effectiveness. Formative evaluation tells us what technology applications work, under what conditions, and with which students. Need to find new ways to identify and measure the skills and knowledge that students gain from using mobile devices such as the iPad. Some evidence that the use of iPads Increased students’ engagement & motivation, positive self- perceived improvement of language skills. Frequency of iPad use & type of activities, in & out of class had an impact on language development.