E-assessment and the independent learner

Phil ButcherOU E-assessment adviser

September 2010

Student views

“Interactive assessment (is) a particularly good

learning tool, if you are getting the answer wrong it

doesn’t give you the answer right away but gently

coaches you till you get it right yourself.”

“You don't always appreciate what you’re reading

and its significance, until you try and apply it.”

E-assessment for learningThe Open University’s starting position• Our students study independently• …at home• …with a variety of work and study patterns• …they may be in different time zones

• We have sufficiently large student numbers• …to invest in computing and network infrastructure• …to invest in writing e-assessments• …with feedback

• We have lots of reference material online and in print.

E-assessment for learningThe Open University seeks to use technology that is

in the home

• …1987 personal computers at home

• …1998 interactive multimedia on CD

• …2002 first use of e-assessment

• …2005 current version of OpenMark

adopted Moodle as the institutional VLE

Conditions in which assessment supports learning (Gibbs and Simpson 2004)

1. Assessed tasks capture sufficient study time and effort. 2. These tasks distribute student effort evenly across topics and weeks. 3. These tasks engage students in productive learning activity.

4. Assessment communicates clear and high expectations to students.

5. Sufficient feedback is provided, both often enough and in enough detail.

6. The feedback is provided quickly enough to be useful to students.

7. Feedback focuses on learning rather than on marks or students themselves. 8. Feedback is linked to the purpose of the assignment and to criteria.

9. Feedback is understandable to students, given their sophistication.

10.Feedback is received by students and attended to. 11.Feedback is acted upon by students to improve their

work or learning.

E-assessment for learningFour guiding principles behind OpenMark

• The emphasis placed on feedback.

• Allowing multiple attempts.

• The breadth of interactions supported.

• The design for anywhere, anytime use.

The emphasis placed on feedback

Before we go any further

1. Feedback is harder to write than the question or the correct answer.

2. How many students will need it?

3. So how much effort do you put into it?

The emphasis placed on feedback

• S104 – iCMA49 – Question 4 - 2009

The emphasis placed on feedback and marks!• S104 – iCMA49 – Question 4 - 2009

The emphasis placed on feedback and marks!The proportions of students who score 0, 1, 2 or 3 marks per question for several S104 iCMAs.

The emphasis placed on feedback and marks!

Distribution of scores based on first attempt, first two attempts and all attempts for a typical S104 iCMA.

Pertinence to distance learning

• Instant and personalised feedback

…which leads to future learning

…randomization allows re-use

• Economies of scale

• Available 24/7

• Controlled marking and feedback quality

• Linkage via ‘reports’ and a ‘gradebook’ to targetted support (self and teacher monitoring)

OU e-assessment usage

OU impact on Moodle Quiz

• OU Moodle has had full feedback, multiple attempts and better navigation since 2008

• OpenMark integration since 2009

• These features are being added to Moodle 2.1 and will be widely available from 2011

• Moodle Gradebook and Quiz Reports re-writes were also OU sponsored

Phil Butcherp.g.butcher@open.ac.uk

More interactive examples with feedback

http://www.open.ac.uk/colmsct/projects/icma

http://www.open.ac.uk/openmarkexamples

Where we have reached with Moodle

http://labspace.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3484

A showcase of projects supported in OpenMarkFor interactive demonstrations please visit the websites on the previous slide.

The presentation at eAssessment Scotland used live demonstrations. The following slides are provided for any reader of this Powerpoint presentation.

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