How Shall We Assess This

1
How Shall We Assess This?

• Janet Carter
• University of Kent
• (J.E.Carter_at_kent.ac.uk)

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International Working Group

• UK
• Janet Carter
• John English
• William Fone
• Ursula Fuller
• Finland
• Kirsti Ala-Mutka

• Australia
• Martin Dick
• Judy Sheard
• Petco Tsvetinov
• USA
• Mike Goldweber

Data collection only
3
An International Survey

• Snapshot of Current Practice
• What are we teaching?
• How do we assess it?
• Computer Aided Assessment
• What are our perceptions of it?
• Do we use it?
• Do we want to use it?

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Respondents (1)
5
Respondents (2)

• 41 UK responses
• 35 female
• 25 teach programming
• 67 teach hard computing
• Numbers available at http//www.cs.kent.ac.uk/je
  c/assess/

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Snapshot
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Assessment Submission Mechanisms

• 40 electronic submission for
• Essays
• Other written work
• Open book tests
• In class tests
• Of the 40 collecting work electronically
• 40 of essays
• 60 of other written work
• 100 of tests
• are marked at least partially electronically

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Assessment Submission Mechanisms

• 54 electronic submission for Practical exercises
• Of this 54
• 48 use partial electronic marking
• Further 20 use fully electronic marking
• 40 of all practical work is collected and
  marked electronically

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CAA

• is defined as any activity in which
  computers are involved in the assessment
  process as more than just information storage or
  a delivery medium
• (working group definition)

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Question design

• Takes time and careful planning
• Those with little experience of CAA can easily
  fall into traps
• With manual marking it is easier to correct the
  mark scheme after the fact
• Students providing correct answers may be
  disadvantaged if errors are not found

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Perceptions of CAA

• Respondents agree that CAA
• Reduces marking time
• Allows students to work at their own pace
• Improves the immediacy of feedback
• Has similar levels of security risk than
  traditional assessments
• Does not disadvantage special needs students

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Perceptions of CAA

• Divided opinion over whether CAA
• Can test higher order learning outcomes
• Offers greater objectivity in marking
• Offers more flexibility to students
• Improves the quality of feedback

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Non-user Perceptions
?

• CAA
• Can test higher order learning outcomes
• Offers greater objectivity in marking
• Offers more flexibility to students
• Improves the quality of feedback

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User Perceptions
?

• CAA
• Can test higher order learning outcomes
• Offers greater objectivity in marking
• Offers more flexibility to students
• Improves the quality of feedback