Soliciting feedback for a British Standard Code of Practice for using IT in delivering assessments

The British Standards Institution has set up a panel, IST/43/-/1, to draw at a new British Standard Code of Practice for the use of IT in delivering assessments (BS 7988). This paper describes the work in progress and plans for creating this standard. Introduction to the Standard The British Standards Institution have set up a formal committee, IST/43, to work in the area of learning technologies standards. IST/43 has members from government, business and education, and has two main roles. One role is to contribute to international ISO and IEC standards work, via the ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC36 committee. And the other role is to consider and work on any British standards work. As part of this second role, IST/43 have set up a panel (subcommittee) called IST/43/-/1 to produce a specific standard in the area of computer assisted assessment. This standard is to be called: BS 7988 A Code of Practice for the use of Information Technology in the Delivery of Assessments. John Kleeman, of Question Mark, is the convenor (chairman) of the panel. The following organisations have been part of the initial development of the plan for the standard o CETIS / Sheffield Hallam University o Department for Education and Employment o Edexcel Foundation o Guildford Educational Services o Intertrust Technologies International o NCS Pearson UK o Question Mark Computing Limited o Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) o Simulacra Media o Sun Microsystems o Sunderland University o TUV Product Services o UK CAA (Computer Assisted Assessment) Centre, Luton University o University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (UCLES) Several other organisations are also planning to become involved at the time of writing this paper. The aim of the standard is to describe good practice in using computers and other information technology in delivering assessments. Our formal, approved scope is provided as part two of this paper. The standard does not cover authoring assessments, simply their safe and effective delivery. At present, each organisation that uses computers for exams sets their own guidelines and works out their own practices. This is mostly because use of IT has exploded so rapidly that different sectors have not had time to communicate with each other. This new standard will set some guidelines taking the best parts of existing practices, and enabling users of computer exams to feel confident that they are fair and secure. It will build on the good work that has been done by many pioneers in computer assisted assessment, and set practical guidelines that organisations can use in the future. The standard is currently in its drafting period. After a competitive tender, BSI has appointed Guildford Educational Services to work with the panel to produce a draft of the standard by September 2001. Included within the drafting process is consulting widely and referring to prior work in this area. Assuming all goes to plan, the draft of the standard will be issued for formal public comment by BSI in October; and if there are no substantial objections, it's hoped that the final standard will be published around April 2002. Although the initial work is entirely in the context of a British Standard, it is possible that the work could continue to extend the standard to apply into Europe and internationally. The panel appreciates that many of the UK and world experts in computer assisted assessment will be at the conference, and would welcome all input, either at the conference or by e-mail to the authors as above. Particularly of interest would be knowledge of any existing documents in the area; the panel is aware of many of these, but may not be aware of all. Also if any organisations or institutions have internal documents on how they deliver computer exams that they would be willing to make available to the panel, these would be of great interest.