Research

3. Drivers and Barriers to the adoption of eAssessment for UK Awarding Bodies

The first research study of eAssessment adoption in the UK's vocational, professional and awarding organisation sector.

We had help from Acritas Research to perform both the qualitative and quantitative studies.

Published through the Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters).

2. Acceptance and Usage of eAssessment for UK Awarding Bodies

Published by Thomson, the follow-up to the previous study was described by JISC as 'seminal'.

Once again, Acritas did a great job in obtaining census level participation from the awarding organisation sector.

Published through the Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters).

1. The use of portable eAssessment delivery to raise UK financial advice standards

Published in the International Journal of eAssessment.

We created a solution for delivering a completely on-line, regulated financial services qualification, including delivering the summative exam via a peripatetic model.

6. CCEA - eAssessment Review

Steered by the Northern Ireland school exam regulator, CCEA, this report looks at the benefits and good practice in different assessment approaches used in the summer 2016 series of GCE Applied Business and GCE Applied ICT.

The research analyses the development and delivery of qualification assessment through the use of eAssessment and pen and paper assessment, and learners’ experiences of these assessments.

Published 2017

5. JISC - eAssessment Survey

JISC commisioned this FE survey in 2015/16. It showed that most Further Education organisations are using eAssessment on a day-to-day basis but, in many cases, its impact across an organisation is limited.

A wide variety of eAssessment techniques (summative testing, e-portfolio, formative testing) are being used, but the overall picture, is mixed.

The report states that e-testing is more embedded and mature than the use of e-portfolios and tracking systems.

Published 2016

4. AQA - The Future of Assessment 2025

Given AQA’s business is dominated by school-level General Qualifications delivered in England, this paper acknowledges that changing an imperfect system is part of a long-term view of how change is needed to support young people’s education and safeguard their opportunities to progress.

AQA’s vision sets out six long-term objectives and ten actions for the future of assessment.

Published 2015

3. Open University - eAssessment: Past, present and future

Working from an Higher Education perspective, the author looks at what systems are currently being used in the sector, including historic tech such as OMR bubble sheets and response clickers.

There's an interesting point that computers should be releasing knowledgable and skilled staff from the 'drudgery of marking' into more authentic assessment.

MOOCs and learning analytics are called out as future developments.

Published 2013

2. Ofqual - Research into on-demand testing

This report from the England school exam regulator could be thought of as signalling the end of the first phase of mainstream eAssessment in 2010.

After the heady pronouncements from the regulator in the middle 00's of adopting eAssessment by 2009, this report is a fair reflection and stock-taking of the opinions from focus groups and other regulators.

This is a 'pause and consider' position document and an acknowledgement that the landscape had changed with the recession and new UK Coalition government.

Published 2010

1. JTLA - The effects of online formative and summative assessment on test anxiety and performance

There are a few studies on exam anxiety, but very few look at the impact of technology and on-screen experiences, compared to paper delivery.

This research paper is historic in ed tech terms, but calls out two results that still resonate today.

The integration of on-line practice tests to help students prepare for their exam is still called out as being vital to the experience. Also, improving a learner's confidence with better and secure web-based testing is seen as wholly beneficial.

Published 2005