Developments in the provision of quality electronic summative assessments.

Abstract

This is a Work in Progress paper backgrounding a research area which is to be developed further at the Open Polytechnic. This initial study overviews the written and electronic literature available at 29 June 1998 identifying developments in the field of electronic assessment. In this study I have focused on ascertaining what was available electronically in summative assessment methods. For some institutions this has simply resulted in the range of traditional forms of assessment being translated onto a computer, while other groups have developed variations available only because of computer usage. This has ranged from the use of electronic mail to transmit assignments between student and tutors to the development of computer adaptive testing. Specifically the study covers summative testing via multichoice questions, constructed answers, essays and practical performance assessments via simulations. There is little information available on summative electronic testing in alternative forms of assessment and so this study does not specifically cover learning contracts, projects, peer assessment, oral examinations, seminar presentations, case studies, laboratory work, or other submitted written work such as literature reviews, book reviews, reports or journalling. The next stage of the research is to select an appropriate electronic medium for application to an Open Polytechnic programme and to explore the conversion of the assessments in this programme to an electronic base.