Supporting further and higher education Effective Practice with eAssessment Celeste McLaughlin Joan Walker

Supporting further and higher education Outline Focus on current JISC activities in the area of eAssessment Effective Practice with eAssessment Publication, JISC 2007 Practical solutions offered by local JISC RSC via eAssessment workshops and training

Supporting further and higher education Effective Practice with e-Assessment Focus on institutional practice rather than learning design Structured around case studies Draws on previous research by JISC, The Open University and the University of Derby

Supporting further and higher education Why use eAssessment? Well-designed and well-deployed diagnostic and formative assessments can foster more effective learning for a wider diversity of learners. Effective Practice with e-Assessment, JISC 2007

Supporting further and higher education Key issues for academic staff Impact on course structure University of Strathclyde Case StudyCase Study Impact on workload Culture change

Supporting further and higher education University of Strathclyde 1 st year basic psychology course, class size 550 – limited opportunities for feedback on assessments Assessments redesigned using online communication tools and feedback given Pilot results indicate enhances in student engagement, confidence, and autonomy in learning Dept of Psychology has now redesigned the structure of first-year classes, halving the number of scheduled lectures and similar online group work spans all topic areas.

Supporting further and higher education Challenges for practitioners Allocating time for eAssessment related skills development Ensuring the accessibility of eAssessment for a diversity of learners Achieving best fit between eAssessment design, course objectives and the needs of learners Developing confidence and expertise in a full range of eAssessment approaches Assimilating changes in working practices

Supporting further and higher education Impact at Institutional Level Staff training & support University of Dundee Case StudyCase Study Quality assurance and quality enhancement The Oldham College Case StudyCase Study IT infrastructure and estates Management of candidate authentication and plagiarism Farnborough Sixth Form College Case StudyCase Study

Supporting further and higher education University of Dundee University developed a course in online assessment, part of PgCert in Teaching in Higher Education, course SCOTCAT accredited Focus is on pedagogy of online assessment All academics receive copy of university’s eAssessment Policy and procedures Administration of summative assessment managed by Director of eLearning and staff from the Learning Enhancement Unit Use of formative assessment has been instrumental in upgrading attendance and performance

Supporting further and higher education The Oldham College Designated assessment centre set up 2005 to provide Summative tests Learners undergo diagnostic screening, mock tests then formal assessments in basic & key skills Scores automatically transferred to college MIS to create an individual learning record and class list for teaching staff Results available within days via learners home page with personalised learning resources appropriate for results generated for learner Different levels of support available for learner Scheme now being extended to other curriculum areas

Supporting further and higher education Farnborough Sixth Form College Opened first purpose built eAssessment centre for an English FE college in 2005 Designed to allow space to be used for teaching and learning as well as summative assessment Network had to support routine teaching and learning and provide a secure environment for high-stakes assessment Software used to provide secure environment for external assessments on any computer in the college

Supporting further and higher education Challenges for Institutions Developing an eAssessment strategy that incorporates pedagogic and technical aims Introducing sustainable ways of supporting computer-based assessment Setting up a viable physical and IT infrastructure to support eAssessment to the required scale Instituting policies and procedures to ensure the validity of eAssessment

Supporting further and higher education continuum LearningPlatform

Supporting further and higher education eAssessment Workshops An introduction to eAssessments: using the COLA resources 24 th October & 22 nd November Using eAssessment tools for effective teaching and learning 9 th November & 11 th December Integrating eAssessments into teaching resources using CourseGenie 7 th December

Supporting further and higher education Contact Details