Information AboutE-assessment |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT E-ASSESSMENT | |
| educational assessment and evaluation | |
| educational psychology | |
| evaluation | |
| evaluation methods | |
| school terminology | |
| standards-based education | |
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E-assessment can be used to assess Cognitive and Practical abilities. Cognitive abilities are assessed using ''e-testing'' software; practical abilities are assessed using ''e-portfolios'' or ''simulation'' software. An e-testing system comprises two components: (1) an assessment engine; and (2) an Item Bank . An ''assessment engine'' comprises the hardware and software required to create and deliver a test. Most e-testing engines run on standard hardware so the key characteristic is the software's functionality. There is a wide range of software packages. The software does not include the questions themselves; these are provided by an ''item bank''. Once created, the engine uses the item bank to generate a test. The creation of the item bank is more costly and time consuming than the installation and configuration of the assessment engine. There is currently no business model to support the creation of high quality item banks. Issues such as copyright and intellectual property rights remain unresolved. E-assessment is becoming widely used. It has many advantages over traditional ( Paper -based) assessment. The advantages include: #lower long-term costs #instant feedback to students #greater flexibility with respect to location and timing #improved reliability (machine marking is much more reliable than human marking) #enhanced question styles which incorporate interactivity and multimedia. There are also disadvantages. E-assessment systems are expensive to establish and not suitable for every type of assessment (such as extended response questions). The main expense is not technical; it is the cost of producing high quality assessment ''items''. E-ASSESSMENT STANDARDS In order to create a mechanism for the sharing of high quality assessment items, global standards have emerged. The IMS Question and Test Interoperability specification ( QTI ) provides a common format for describing and distributing question items across disparate systems. HAND HELD STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEMS An area of E-assessment that has seen extensive growth in recent years is the use of hand held student response devices (often referred to as 'clickers' or voting devices). These allow a teacher to carry out whole group assessments, polls and surveys quickly and easily. They use either radio or infra red to communicate with a central hub that is usually attached to a computer. In many school classrooms these devices may also be used in combination with an Interactive Whiteboard NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY Various terms are used to describe the use of a computer for assessment purposes. These include: #Computer-Assisted Assessment or Computer-Aided Assessment (CAA) #Computer-Mediated Assessment (CMA) #Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) #online assessment. Although these terms are commonly used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. Computer Assisted/Mediated Assessment refers to any application of computers within the assessment process; the role of the computer may be extrinsic or intrinsic. It is, therefore, a synonym for e-assessment which also describes a wide range of computer-related activities. Within this definition the computer often plays no part in the actual assessment of responses but merely facilitates the capture and transfer of responses between candidate and human assessor. Computer-Based Assessment refers to assessment which is built around the use of a computer; the use of a computer is always intrinsic to this type of assessment. This can relate to assessment of IT practical skills or more commonly the on screen presentation of knowledge tests. The defining factor is that the computer is marking or assessing the responses provided from candidates. Online assessment refers to assessment activity which requires the use of the internet. In reality few high stakes assessment sessions are actually conducted online in real time but the transfer of data prior to and after the assessment session is conducted via the internet. There are many examples of practice and diagnostic tests being run real time over the internet. EXAMPLES
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