e-Assessment in Practice

Events

e-Assessment in Practice

Event date: 11 November 09
Event end date: 12 November 09

Location:

Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham

Background

Assessment is an integral part of learning. Although content development in e-Learning environments has come a long way, e-Assessment together with intelligent feedback remains a challenge. Assessment has moved on from simple multiple choice questions to very innovative approaches using symbolic systems, free text processing using techniques from natural language processing, computer assisted validation of human marked scripts, convenient mathematical input with the help of MathML. Many challenges still remain. Diagrammatic reasoning, free hand graphical input, and their assessment still need to find a technological solution. It is still early days to find all the functionality in one single platform. Publishers are increasingly offering books with integratedself-assessment with tools such as MyMathlab.

e-Assessment is an enormous challenge to designers, developers and the Users alike. Despite significant improvements in the underlying technologies, there appears to be some reluctance to fully integrate assessment into the curriculum.

e-Learning in general shifts the responsibility to the learner which in turn demands far greater motivation and self-discipline. Organisational and cultural practices quite often sit at odds with the philosophy of e-Learning, which in turn impacts on the take- up of e-Assessment. Despite some of these challenges, e-Assessment has been used successfully for many qualifying examinations (MRCS, Driving License Tests, DHS, IELTD, TDA) where there is little need for immediate intelligent feedback.

e-Assessment has come a long way and is here to stay. Many technological challenges still remain. The conference provides ample opportunities to discuss your concerns with leading authorities in the field, and provides an opportunity to shape the future of the e-Assessment.

Confirmed Speakers include

Prof. Fred McBride, Informative Assessment -- the ALTA approach, ALTA-Systems
Mr. Patrick Craven, Effective e-assessment – making IT happen, Cambridge Assessment
Mr. Matt Wingfield, Innovations in the assessment of digital coursework, TAG Developments
Mr Eugene Burke, Secure assessment on the Internet, Director Science and Innovation, SHL Group Ltd
Lt Cdr Beasty Williams, Opportunities for E-Assessment in the Royal Navy Mobile Learning Project, Royal Navy
Prof. Sara da Freitas, Serious Games: Opportunities for Assessment and Feedback, Director of Research, Serious Games Institute, Coventry University Technology Park
Gp Capt Phil Sagar, E-asy Assessment, Review of Officer and Airmen Development, Implementation Project Team
Mr. Yishay Mor, Building a bridge between theory and practice in formative e-assessment, London Knowledge Lab
Dr. Vivien Sieber, There is more to e-assessment than MCQs, Senior Learning and Teaching Officer, University of Oxford
Dr. Denise Whitelock, Electronic Assessment: Pushing forward with feedback for learning, The Open University
Mr. Andrew Boyle, e-assessment: a regulator's view, Ofqual
Dr. Vikki Smith, Director, Assessment & Quality, City & Guilds

Who will be there?

The symposium is strongly focussed on current technologies that have been successfully deployed and provides an opportunity to preview the forthcoming developments. The audience not familiar with some of the technologies have an opportunity to sample and discuss the possibilities in hands-on workshops.