This presentation is an introduction to various aspects of eAssessment.

2. Why assess?
• To support and improve student learning
• To test learning outcomes

3. Assessment – supporting student
learning (1)
• Quantity and distribution of student effort
• Condition 1 Assessed tasks capture sufficient study time and effort
• Condition 2 These tasks distribute student effort evenly across
topics and weeks
• Quality and level of student effort
• Condition 3 These tasks engage students in productive learning
activity
• Condition 4 Assessment communicates clear and high expectations
to students
• Quantity and timing of feedback
• Condition 5 Sufficient feedback is provided, both often enough and
in enough detail
• Condition 6 The feedback is provided quickly enough to be useful to
students

4. Assessment – supporting student
learning (2)
• Quality of feedback
• Condition 7 Feedback focuses on learning rather than on marks or
students themselves
• Condition 8 Feedback is linked to the purpose of the assignment
and to criteria
• Condition 9 Feedback is understandable to students, given their
sophistication
• Student response to feedback
• Condition 10 Feedback is received by students and attended to
• Condition 11 Feedback is acted upon by students to improve their
work or their learning
Source: Gibbs, G and Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students'
learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education vol.1 pp.3-31.

5. eAssessment – overview
Key players 4
3
Key issues
Types of eAssessment
Question & Test Design
eAssessment at PolyU
Online Tests 1
2
Pros & Cons

6. eAssessment – definitions (1)
• The Joint Information Systems Committee
(JISC) defines eAssessment as:
the end-to-end electronic assessment processes where
ICT is used for the presentation for assessment activity,
and the recording of responses.
• The Scottish Centre for Research into On-Line
Learning and Assessment (SCROLLA) (2006)
defines eAssessment as:
an entirely automated process of delivering and marking
assessments using web or intranet resources.

7. eAssessment – definitions (2)
• The University of Oregon defines eAssessment as:
the use of digital information and communication
technologies to gather and analyse information from
multiple and diverse sources to develop a deep
understanding of what students know, understand, and
can do with their knowledge as a result of their
educational experiences

8. Questions to think about…
• Do you recognise eAssessment as a
separate category of assessment?
• Is eAssessment just about multiple choice?
• Can eAssessment assess learning levels
appropriate to study in HE?
• Can eAssessment be used to assess relevant
knowledge and skills?
• Can I use (more) eAssessment in my work?

9. Activity 1
What do you think are some of the main
eAssessment issues for the key players?

10. Key Issues for Organisations,
1 Qualification Boards & Governments
• What should be assessed online – high stake?
Should it be institution/country-wide?
• National frameworks and guidelines
• JISC (E-Learning Framework, Good E-Assessment Practice guide),
Higher Education Academy, EDNA, Australian Learning & Teaching
Council Fellowship e-Assessment, European - Leonardo da Vinci project
• Institutional projects, policies and codes of
practice
• Dundee University, Open University (UK), Deakin University, University
of Adelaide
• Can the institution handle the necessary
academic cultural change?

11. Key Issues for Organisations,
1 Qualification Boards & Governments
Source: www.scotland.gov.uk

12. Key Issues for Organisations,
1 Qualification Boards & Governments
• 7 million adults lack functional numeracy and 5 million
lack functional literacy. The proportion of adults aged
25 - 64 with low or no qualifications is more than
double that in countries like Sweden, Japan and
Canada.
Source: Leitch Report, 2007
• ….up to half of the 12 000 recruits entering the Army
each year have literacy or numeracy skills at levels at
or below those expected of a primary school leaver.

13. Key Issues for Learning Designers,
2 Publishers & Developers
• Enhance the validity & quality of assessment
• Promote good practice in assessment
• Marking & Grading assessments (in LMS)
• (Intelligent) Feedback
• Engage learners and teachers in assessment
• Equity and diversity of assessment resources
(e.g. gender, language, computer anxiety)
• Improve cost-effectiveness of assessment
• Keep up-to-date with latest technology and
pedagogical developments in assessment
• Design challenges

14. eAssessment – design challenges
• symbolic systems
• free text processing
• computer-assisted validation of human
marked scripts
• mathematical input
• diagrammatic reasoning
• free-hand graphical input

15. 3
Key Issues for teachers, authors &
subject matter experts
• What to assess – type? problem-based?
project-based?
• Administration within LMS (+ Security)
• Marking & Grading assessments
• Question content – paper-base to electronic
• Will it help to meet learning outcomes?
• Integration into curriculum
• Lack of familiarity with the medium
• Perceptions – just multiple choice?
• Will it ease the workload?
• Will it help the weaker learners (remedial)?

16. 4
Key Issues for learners & other
stakeholders
• Why am I being assessed? Will it help me get
my degree?
• Are the right skills being tested?
• Is it good preparation for the “real” exam?
• Will it help to meet the learning outcomes?
• Quick, accurate & detailed feedback
• Security
• Remedial work
• Self-assessment
• Graduate attributes

17. eAssessment – a rationale?
• Many assessment strategies focus on what is
easier to measure rather than what is important -
measuring lower level cognition
• But if we want students to have 21century skills
we must focus on higher order outcomes.
Who decides? The institution? Individual
departments? Teachers? Learners?

18. eAssessment - types
diagnostic tests student’s prior knowledge
formative assessment to promote learning by
(self- providing feedback. Usually not
assessment; counted towards final grade.
peer
assessment)
summative assessment which counts towards
final grade.
adaptive students have more control over the
authored assessment.
personal response quick way to assess understanding
system

19. Assessment – part of the learning
Journey

20. Activity 2
• How many kinds of activities can be
eAssessed?
• How do you assess?
• What criterion do you use when assessing
your activities?

21. Forms of eAssessment
Form of assessment Examples
Traditional assessment submitted online Essays, reviews, reports, case studies
Automated assessment Multiple choice, short answer, matching,
calculations
Automated assessment – advanced options Multiple choice, short answer,
matching/label matching
Calculations/randomly generated
answers, drag & drop
Invigilated online exams – (mid/final semester) Range of formats, multiple choice/ short
answer, automated
Longer essay type
Online discussions Forums, online debates/role plays,
invited online guests
Group projects PowerPoint presentations, CD-ROMs,
multimedia projects, group online
projects laboratory reports, networked
collaborative learning, wikis
Authentic assessment Simulations, critical incident analysis,
case studies, access to external databases
Critical reflection and meta-cognition Electronic portfolios, online journals,
blogs, embedded reflective activities
Advanced problem-solving Problem-based learning scenarios,
learning contracts
Table: Forms of eAssessment
(adapted from a study by Peter Donnan, University of Canberra: Conducting assessment online. (2004)

22. Assessment Methods &
Learning Outcomes
• Matching learning outcomes with assessment
methods
Learning Outcomes Assessment methods
Higher level
•Reflect •Portfolios
Thinking
•Evaluate •Reflective writing
•Predict •Practicum/workplace assessment
•Argue •Group projects
•Apply •Problem or case-based assessment
•Relate •Extended essay
•Explain •Essay exam
•Describe •Objective test (e.g. MCQ)
•Compute
•Identify
•Recall

23. Question & Test Design –
more than just multiple choice!
• Objective Tests
• Question types

24. Online tests
• PolyU examples
• Examples
• eAssessment resources

25. eAssessment @ PolyU
• Moodle – English Language
• Clinical Education
• Anatomy

26. eScholars Group
Statistics
Simulators
Self-test
Mobile- Program
based
Glossary Tool

27. Examples
• PRINCE 2
• English Language Exams
• OpenMark – formative
• OpenMark – diagnostic

28. Online testing – planning process
Source: Sheffield Hallam University, UK

29. eAssessment Resources (1)

30. eAssessment Resources (2)

31. eAssessment – other resources
• QuestionMark Perception
• Pearson
• Maple TA

32. Activity 3
• Can you think of any advantages and
disadvantages of eAssessment?

33. eAssessment - pros
• Immediate feedback can be given to students
and to staff
• Assessments can be linked to other online
course materials being used
• Ease of marking/consistency/accuracy
• On demand delivery
• Geographic flexibility
• Time flexibility/convenience
• Cost effectiveness
• Ease of administration

34. eAssessment – cons
• Staff need (more) time and extra skills to create
eAssessment resources
• Testing higher order skills requires greater effort
• More difficult to assess written expression or
creativity
• Restrictions of multiple choice
• Accessibility
• Authentication/candidate validity
• Security/confidentiality
• Cost
• Technical failure/issues & lack of support

35. Questions to think about
• Do you recognise eAssessment as a
separate category of assessment?
• Is eAssessment just about multiple choice?
• Can eAssessment assess learning levels
appropriate to study in HE?
• Can eAssessment be used to assess relevant
knowledge and skills?
• Can I use (more) eAssessment in my work?

36. Goodbye!!!
Contact us:
Ian
etian@inet.polyu.edu.hk
Jenny
etjeni03@inet.polyu.edu.hk