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e-Assessment
Welcome to the e-Assessment section of our webiste which provides information on how we can work with you to support the embedding of technology enhanced assessment in the curriculum. Please get in touch with Grainne Hamilton for further information about e-Assessment by email or call the RSC's Information Helpdesk on 0141 585 0022.
What is e-Assessment?
The following definition of online assessment or e-Assessment is taken from the JISC Effective Practice with e-Assessment (2007) publication: "e-Assessment is the end-to-end electronic assessment processes where ICT is used for the presentation for assessment activity, and the recording of responses. This includes the end-to-end assessment process from the perspective of learners, tutors, learning establishments, awarding bodies and regulators, and the general public."
The importance of effective assessment and feedback practices within the learning experience is highlighted in the JISC Effective Assessment in a Digital Age (2010) guide: "Effective assessment and feedback can be defined as practice that equips learners to study and perform to their best advantage in the complex disciplinary fields of their choice, and to progress with confidence and skill as lifelong learners, without adding to the assessment burden on academic staff."
How we can support you
e-Assessment can offer a range of benefits to learners, educators and institutions. These benefits range from enhancing the learning experience through to creating efficiences in marking and and institutional processes. We can help you to achieve some of these benefits within your institutions by disseminating current developments and providing consultation, advice and training.
We can:
- Support the development of Learning & Teaching / e-Assessment strategies
- Disseminate Information - of current and future developments in assessment
- Signpost Research - relating to technology enhanced assessment, assessment for / of learning to ensure a curriculum that is fit for purpose, up to date and able to meet learners’ expectations.
- Devise and Deliver - learning and development opportunities for curriculum
practitioners focusing on sound pedagogy, appropriate tools and methods. - Initiate and support projects - that encompass innovative delivery of technology
enhanced assessment. - Sharing Practice - Facilitate and coordinate opportunities for sharing effective
practice.
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Embedding e-Assessment in the curriculum
- e-Assessment strategy
- Inclusive assessment
- Quality Assurance & standards
- Institutional procedures and efficiencies such as marking and plagiarism
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Best practice and approaches in e-Assessment
- Assessment for learning and Assessment of learning
- Research & principles of effective assessment practice
- Pedagogy
- Tools and platforms such as VLEs, bespoke e-Assessment systems, item banks,
- Generic online systems used for assessment
- Approaches such as games, mobile, e-Portfolios, peer review
- Liaising with and disseminating information from stakeholder organisations
Dissemination Channels
Blog
The RSC e-Assessment blog contains up-to-date information on current developments, webinars, projects, surveys, reports, events and news pertinent to e-Assessment in Further and Higher Education in Scotland. The blog is updated regularly and a monthly digest of posts is available. Please contact Grainne Hamilton if you are interested in receiving the digest, if you have any comments, articles / news relating to e-Assessment you would like to share or any areas of e-Assessment you are particularly interested in.
Online Magazine
The e-Assessment in Further and Higher Education magazine incorporates articles, blog posts, videos and other news relevant to e-Assessment in further and higher education in Scotland. Articles focus on creative, innovative and sometimes contentious ideas about how technology can be used to enhance assessment and learning.
You can follow Grainne Hamilton's own twitter stream which includes updates on e-Assessment. Follow @grainnehamilton
Resources
JISC plays an important role in the area of e-Assessment, helping educational institutions look at innovative ways of supporting both assessment for learning (formative) and assessment of learning (summative). JISC has funded a number of projects exploring the potential of e-Assessment to enhance the learner experience and help create efficiencies. It has also published guides on e-Assessment and there are various JISC services which can provide a range of services and resources from legal advice to infokits and training.
An overview of JISC activities in the area of e-Assessment can be found under the eLearning Programme Key Activity Areas:
Guides
The JISC Effective Assessment in a Digital Age (2010) guide focuses on a principles based approach to embedding e-Assessment in the curriculum. Drawing on recent JISC reports and case studies from both further and higher education, it identifies models of assessment and features case studies highlighting a range of tools and methods for enhancing assessment and feedback practices. Online supplementary resources include video case studies and podcasts.
The JISC Effective Practice with e-Assessment (2007) guide focuses on the institutional practices surrounding e-Assessment including a number of useful case studies from both further and higher education.
The JISCEffective Practice with e-Portfolios guide highlights the use of e-Portfolios in further and higher education.
Services
- JISC Legal can provide legal support and advice on using ICT in education including those surrounding e-Assessment.
- JISC InfoNet provide 'self-help' material, including toolkits, such as the infoKit on e-Portfolios which complements an e-Portfolio publication and information on e-Assessment in the use of Virtual Learning Environments toolkit.
- JISC TechDis is a JISC advisory service specialising in accessibility and inclusion. There is an e-Assessment section on the TechDis website.
- JISC Netskills provide training courses, learning materials and conduct research into emerging technologies. They host workshops and host support materials on e-Assessment. The Assessment for Learning section provides links to a workshop overview and to various assessment resources. The Events page lists upcoming workshops.
Special Interest Group
The JISC Assessment Special Interest Group (SIG) monitors interoperability initiatives in e-Assessment in FE and HE and wider initiatives relating to e-Assessment. The group has a mailing list and regular open meetings.
Question Item Banks
There are assessment banks available for the sector to use:
- Bank on Success
- e-Assessment question sets created as part of the JISC Regional Support Centre Scotland South & West Bank on Success project can be freely downloaded and used in a Moodle or Blackboard learning platform. Visit the Bank on Success section of the website to view and download the e-Assessment question sets.
- SOLAR
- The SQA's SOLAR item bank of quality assured summative and formative e-Assessments covers qualifications in a range of disciplines from National Certificate to Higher National Diploma. Summative e-Assessments have been pre-verified and there is a store of formative assessments which include feedback for learners that are freely available via OpenAssess.
- COLA
- The COLA materials are a bank of formative assessment resources covering a wide range and level of subjects across the Scottish curriculum. The materials were developed by COLEG (now Scotland's Colleges) and there are more than 250 assessments available. The assessments can be used in your college VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). The assessments can be found via the Scotland's Colleges VLE (Moodle). Further details about the Moodle platform can be found on the Find Learning Materials section of the Scotland's Colleges website.