Abstract
This review of e-assessment takes a broad definition, including any use of a computer in assessment, whilst focusing on computer-marked assessment. Drivers include increased variety of assessed tasks and the provision of instantaneous feedback, as well as increased objectivity and resource saving. From the early use of multiple-choice questions and machine-readable forms, computer-marked assessment has developed to encompass sophisticated online systems, which may incorporate interoperability and be used in students’ own homes. Systems have been developed by universities, companies and as part of virtual learning environments. Some of the disadvantages of selected-response question types can be alleviated by techniques such as confidence-based marking. The use of electronic response systems (‘clickers’) in classrooms can be effective, especially when coupled with peer discussion. Student authoring of questions can also encourage dialogue around learning. More sophisticated computer-marked assessment systems have enabled mathematical questions to be broken down into steps and have provided targeted and increasing feedback. Systems that use computer algebra and provide answer matching for short-answer questions are discussed. Computer-adaptive tests use a student’s response to previous questions to alter the subsequent form of the test. More generally, e-assessment includes the use of peer-assessment and assessed e-portfolios, blogs, wikis and forums. Predictions for the future include the use of e-assessment in MOOCs (massive open online courses); the use of learning analytics; a blurring of the boundaries between teaching, assessment and learning; and the use of e-assessment to free human markers to assess what they can assess more authentically.
Highlights
E-assessment, according to its widest definition (JISC 2006), includes any use of a computer as part of any assessment-related activity, be that summative, formative or diagnostic
Its scope includes the online submission of an assignment for marking by a human, the assessment of an e-portfolio or reflective blog, feedback delivered by audio files recorded on a computer and, most commonly, online computer-marked quizzes
For that question, rather than having a 33% chance of getting 100% and a 67% chance of getting 0%. This approach is undoubtedly fairer, but some students found it confusing and concern has been expressed that it puts greater emphasis on tactics than on knowledge and understanding of the correct answer. It has long been recognised (Ahlgren 1969) that the reliability of a test score can be increased by incorporating some sort of weighting for the appropriateness of a student’s confidence
Summary
E-assessment, according to its widest definition (JISC 2006), includes any use of a computer as part of any assessment-related activity, be that summative, formative or diagnostic. Students can use the online assignments to check their understanding and so to target future study, but the mere act of taking tests has been shown to improve subsequent performance more than additional study of the material, even when tests are given without feedback This is the so-called testing effect and research in this area is reviewed in Roediger & Karpicke (2006). During the 20th century, large-scale multiple-choice tests were administered by means of machinereadable forms of the type shown, on which students indicated their selected answer to each question. These systems (which are still in use) enabled objectivity and resource saving, but the advantages of immediacy of feedback and student engagement were not yet present. Moodle and its assessment system are open source, reflecting a profound change in philosophy that has influenced the development of e-assessment tools
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