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e-Assessment Survey – Outcomes and Challenges

Survey background

»Online Survey undertaken in June – September 2015

»Aimed at FE & Skills sector»Tracked, self-selecting participation»Over 170 full or partial responses»Most questions included an opportunity to comment further in open ended text

»13 follow up interviews in September/October15/03/2016

Themes»What are you doing now?»What would you like to be doing now?»What would you like to do in the future?»What do you think you will be able to do?»Opportunities and barriers:› Strategic› Technology› Cultural› Resources

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Impacts

»Of the FELTAG agenda»Of current external strategies and policies»Of regulation»Of external agencies eg funding, inspection, AOs

»On learner achievement and efficiency

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Key messages

› Lack of funding (51%)› Staff resistance (42%)› Technology difficult to

implement (38%)› Issues with scaling up (35%)› Lack of direction by

Government/Ofqual/Ofsted (26%)

Barriers to e-assessment: »Lack of appropriate IT support

(73%)» Infrastructure/wifi (67%)»Capacity issues e.g. e-testing

(over 50%)

Operational:

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Key messages

»Significant use of e-assessment – particularly e-testing, less of e-portfolios

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We, as an organisation, have embraced the use of e-assessment from day 1 and will continue to do so. We used multiple e-portfolio platforms before settling on the one we currently use. This has been a big investment. The changes were implemented to ensure we had a fully integrated (between management information systems, tracking and e-portfolio) and robust system. Costly to implement – staff training etc. But we would never go back to paper.

Head of resources, regional training provider

Key messages

»Capacity of providers to fund technology›Limited resources›How best to use resources›Use of alternative approached eg BYOD

»Capacity of providers to manage e-assessment

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We are involved with a lot of e-testing and, on the whole, it works well but they require a lot of resources and, when issues occur, they can be very problematic. We don't have dedicated testing rooms either, which I'm sure doesn't help.

Examinations administrator, FE college

Key messages

»Continued “cultural” concerns›Convincing staff of both the value of e-assessment and that its use will become more widespread

›The “dumbing down” argument»Many providers do not have strategies to develop their use of e-assessment

»Continued concerns about the digital literacy of both staff and learners when related to assessment15/03/201

6

Key messages

I am all for e-assessment, but many of my colleagues are resistant. The college as a whole is trying to move towards paperless assessment, but the hardware and software currently in place is inadequate, and is unlikely to be replaced within the next couple of years due to financial restraints.

Classroom teacher/trainer, inner city FE college

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Feedback from FE Digital Leaders courseNov 15

The assessment and feedback lifecycle

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FE Digital Leaders – identifying challenges

»Lack of leadership› Lack of consistency, lack of

clarity› Strategy and policy –

minimum marking and feedback expectations

»Awarding bodies / regulators› Behind practice?› Different requirements and

regulations

» Infrastructure › not 100% reliable› Logistical issues

– e.g. difficulties co-ordinating e-exams

»Culture - students and staff› Lack of support› Resistance - staff and

students› Lack of skills and confidence

– (e.g. online marking and feedback)

› Quality of feedback15/03/2016

Find out more

»FE survey final report: http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6278/7/e-assessment_survey_final_report_26Jan2015.pdf

»2014 Jisc landscape review of the electronic management of assessment: http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/5983/1/JISCAFBaselineReportMay2012.pdf

»New Jisc guide: » www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/transforming-ass

essment-and-feedback/ » Join the conversation on the blog:

ema.jiscinvolve.org/ and on twitter #jiscassess

» Join the mailing list: jiscmail.ac.uk/tech-enhanced-assessment

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Suggested next steps

» Engaging, through Jisc, with stakeholders to:› Agree the challenges and next

steps› Enhance staff confidence and

digital and assessment literacies› Ensure good e-assessment design› Deliver a consistent and positive

message about e-assessment › Remove myths that regulation

prevents innovation› Review the ISO standard for e-

testing to support organisations in delivery

Suggested next steps» An online resource, articulating

benefits and providing definitions and guidance on effective practice with examples› Aimed at staff in the sector› Potentially through FES online

CPD service?» A communications push through

a range of routes and bodies, promoting a consistent message

Solutions discussed last week

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Suggested next steps

»Discuss on your tables:› Do you agree with these suggested next steps? What is

missing? › How can we best raise staff confidence and digital and

assessment literacies? Would an online, engaging package of guidance help?– what would it include?– who would it be aimed at?

Activity

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