Online assessment

Electronic assessment, also known as e-assessment, online assessment, computer assisted/mediated assessment and computer-based assessment, is the use of information technology in various forms of assessment such as educational assessment, health assessment, psychiatric assessment, and psychological assessment. This may utilize an online computer connected to a network. This definition embraces a wide range of student activity ranging from the use of a word processor to on-screen testing. Specific types of e-assessment include multiple choice, online/electronic submission, computerized adaptive testing and computerized classification testing. Electronic assessment, also known as e-assessment, online assessment, computer assisted/mediated assessment and computer-based assessment, is the use of information technology in various forms of assessment such as educational assessment, health assessment, psychiatric assessment, and psychological assessment. This may utilize an online computer connected to a network. This definition embraces a wide range of student activity ranging from the use of a word processor to on-screen testing. Specific types of e-assessment include multiple choice, online/electronic submission, computerized adaptive testing and computerized classification testing. Different types of online assessments contain elements of one or more of the following components, depending on the assessment's purpose: formative, diagnostic, or summative.:80–82 Instant and detailed feedback may (or may not) be enabled. In education assessment, large-scale examining bodies find the journey from traditional paper-based exam assessment to fully electronic assessment a long one. Practical considerations such as having the necessary IT hardware to enable large numbers of student to sit an electronic examination at the same time, as well as the need to ensure a stringent level of security (for example, see: Academic dishonesty) are among the concerns that need to resolved to accomplish this transition. e-marking is one way that many exam assessment and awarding bodies, such as Cambridge International Examinations, are utilizing innovations in technology to expedite the marking of examinations (see: Electronic marking). In some cases, e-marking can be combined with electronic examinations, whilst in other cases students will still handwrite their exams with papers scanned in securely and uploaded into an e-marking system. E-assessment is becoming more widely used by exam awarding bodies, particularly those with multiple or international study centres and those which offer remote study courses. Industry bodies such as The e-Assessment Association (eAA), founded in 2008, as well as events run by the Association of Test Publishers (ATP) that focus specifically on Innovations in Testing, represent the growth in adoption of technology-enhanced assessment. In psychiatric and psychological testing, e-assessment can be used not only to assess cognitive and practical abilities but anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder, i.e. SPAI-B. Widely in psychology.:4–10 Cognitive abilities are assessed using e-testing software, while practical abilities are assessed using e-portfolios or simulation software. Online assessment is used primarily to measure cognitive abilities, demonstrating what has been learned after a particular educational event has occurred, such as the end of an instructional unit or chapter. When assessing practical abilities or to demonstrate learning that has occurred over a longer period of time an online portfolio (or ePortfolio) is often used. The first element that must be prepared when teaching an online course is assessment. Assessment is used to determine if learning is happening, to what extent and if changes need to be made.:79 Most students will not complete assignments unless there is an assessment (i.e. motivation). It is the instructors role to catalyze student motivation. Appropriate feedback is the key to assessment, whether or not the assessment is graded.:83–86 Students are often asked to work in groups. With this brings on new assessment strategies. Students can be evaluated using a collaborative learning model in which the learning is driven by the students and/or a cooperative learning model where tasks are assigned and the instructor is involved in decisions.:86–89