e-Assessment and the student learning experience: A survey of student perceptions of e-assessment

by:  John Dermo

University of Bradford, Bradford, UK

In: British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 40 Issue 2, Page 203-214.

Abstract

This paper describes a piece of research carried out at the University of Bradford into student perceptions of  e-assessment. An online questionnaire was delivered to 130 undergraduates who had taken part in online assessment (either formative or summative) during the academic year 2007–2008. The survey looked at six main dimensions: (1) affective factors, (2) validity, (3) practical issues, (4) reliability, (5) security, and (6) learning and teaching. The aim of the survey was to identify possible risks in planning e-assessments, as well as to gauge student opinion. The findings of the survey indicated a range of opinions across the student body, with greatest concern about the
fairness of item banking. It was also found that the most positive aspect of e-assessment in the eyes of students concerned the benefits that it can bring to teaching and learning. In addition, the paper concludes that age and gender did not significantly affect student responses in any of the areas studied.  [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

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Does regular online testing enhance student learning in the numerical sciences? Robust evidence from a large data set

Simon D. Angus ¹ and Judith Watson ^{2 1} Department of Economics, Monash University, Clayton, Australia ² School of Economics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

In: British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 40 Issue 2, pg. 255-272.

Correspondence to Judith Watson, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Dr Simon D. Angus, Department of Economics, Monash University, Clayton, 3206 VIC, Australia. Email: simon.angus@buseco.monash.edu.au

Abstract

While a number of studies have been conducted on the impact of online assessment and teaching methods on student learning, the field does not seem settled around the promised benefits of such approaches.

It is argued that the reason for this state of affairs is that few studies have been able to control for a number of confounding factors in student performance. We report on the introduction of a regular (every 3 weeks) low-mark online assessment tool in a large, first-year business mathematics course at the University of New South Wales, a major Australian university. Using a retrospective regression methodology together with a very large and rich data set, we test the proposition that exposure to the online assessment instrument enhances student learning. Significantly, we are able to control for prior student aptitude, in-course mastery, gender and even effort via a voluntary class attendance proxy. Furthermore, the study incorporates two large, and statistically diverse cohorts as well as manipulations in the model tested to robustly examine the outcomes. Our central result is that higher exposure to the online instrument robustly leads to higher student learning, all else being equal. Various implications for online assessment design, implementation and targeting are also discussed.  [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

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