Ort workshop on e-assessing ICT

By Terry Freedman

Introduction to the session

Who I am, what this session is about Intended outcomes:

By the end of this session you will: Understand some of the possibilities of e-

assessment Understand some of the issues and difficulties

associated with e-assessment Have been introduced to some possible

solutions

Terminology: what is e-assessment?

Use of technology to mark students’ test papers

Use of technology to assess ongoing work Assessment of students’ ICT capability

We will be concentrating on the third of these.

Group work on issues: snowball exercise

The aim of this exercise is to end up with no more than two sets of agreed views on the 6 most desired characteristics of ICT assessment. Write down at least 6 ideal characteristics of

an e-assessment system In pairs, agree on 6 ideal characteristics of

ICT assessment As above, in 4s As above in 9s

Snowball exercise: feedback to whole group

Feedback Discussion Issues arising

Possible characteristics

The assessment method must: assess what it purports to assess (validity), eg

not merely assess memory or reading/writing ability

Be accurate (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts)

assess what you want it to assess assess consistently (reliability) make use of available technology be accessible

Possible characteristics

The assessment method must: be useful for diagnosis be available on demand be consistent with teaching method provide information that is useful to student provide information that is useful to teacher provide information that is useful to parents provide information that is useful to

employers

Possible characteristics

The assessment method must: be interesting be exciting be challenging be relevant be usable by non-ICT specialists be usable in other subjects be robust, ie immune to cheating be updateable in a cost-effective way

Video

http://www.teachers.tv/video/5431 What issues did you manage to identify

earlier? What sorts of approaches might you use

in your school?

More terminology…

Terminology ICT capability Summative vs formative assessment High stakes assessment vs low-stakes

assessment

… Plus a few issues

Issues Competing, and conflicting, demands

regarding the purpose of assessment, eg by different stakeholders

Administrative considerations, eg length of test session(s)

Digital divide issues

… Plus a few more issues

Issues Usual assessment-related issues of reliability

and validity Assessing higher-order skills Product vs process Snapshot vs movie

Possible solutions

How might we address these issues and achieve the characteristics we’ve identified as desirable?

How can you make use of some of the ideas shown in the video, without needing the high-tech investment shown?

Diagnostic assessment

How can you find out what the individual student knows?

How can you find out what proportion of the class has understood? Student response

systems

Summative assessment

Think about… Project work Moderation Use of rubrics Concept of key characteristics Use of an e-portfolio

Formative assessment (Assessment for Learning)

Think about… Process Feedback Use of technology, eg mobile phone camera Self-assessment Peer assessment Automated marking Use of Web 2.0: blogs, wikis, forums

What next?

Prioritise at least 3 things that you will do next. For example, review your current methods of assessing ICT.

Think of some “quick wins”, ie things that you can put into place more or less immediately and which will make a huge impact.

Example 1: Rules Base

Example 2: Rubric

See http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/HP+Rubrics

Further ideas and information

http://www.ictineducation.org/db/ort