E-assessment: supporting SQA qualifications

As societies increase their use of technology, the use of e-assessment and e-learning has also become more prominent in the learning and education sector. E-assessment can take different forms including the use of e-testing, e-portfolios, social software (such as wikis and blogs) and other approaches. 

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the national awarding and accreditation body in Scotland and e-assessment plays an increasingly important role in supporting the delivery of its qualifications.  SQA believes e-assessment offers significant benefits both to learners and the institutions at which they learn.

For the learner it can provide:

•    greater flexibility in when and where assessment can be taken
•    increased motivation through the use of media-rich elements in assessment
•    support for preferences in different learning styles and assessment approaches
•    immediate feedback (depending on the e-assessment type)
•    support for those who use assistive technologies in assessment

For the institution it can:

•    produce time savings for assessors through automatic marking (depending on the assessment instrument)
•    enhance learner retention and attainment through greater engagement
•    make assessment management easier and quicker
•    ensure cost savings, quality assurance gains and improved administration through easy access and transfer of electronic evidence

SQA is developing and piloting a range of e-assessment tools that are designed to enhance the delivery and learning experience for learners and to provide more choice to tutors when they come to choosing an assessment.  Some examples of e-assessemnt activity are given below.

SOLAR e-assessments
SOLAR is an online assessment tool that provides summative and formative on-screen assessments. It is based on banks of quality-assured question items. These e-assessments cover qualifications at different levels, eg National Certificates to Higher National Diplomas, and in a range of subjects, eg Computing to Languages.
.
Each delivery of an e-assessment to a learner is dynamically generated by the system, based on pre-specified rules. SQA is also developing a range of web-enabled teaching and learning materials to complement these e-assessments.  You can find more information about SOLAR e-assessments at www.sqasolar.org.uk
 
SQA DeskSpace
DeskSpace is an e-portfolio that is currently available to all learners taking SQA Skills for Work Courses.  DeskSpace allows learners to record the assessment evidence for their course online, keeping everything together and accessible to tutors. Work in a wide range of formats can be uploaded and submitted online, and the user-friendly interface helps learners structure their learning by using online templates. The e-portfolio also encourages learners to think about their own capabilities and preferences as well as what they are learning. Teaching staff can use the system to share information with their students, provide feedback on progress, and support assessment. You can find more information about Skills for Work Courses and DeskSpace at www.sqa.org.uk/skillsforwork

SQA GamesSpace
SQA GamesSpace is an online platform that provides games-based assessments for selected Skills for Work Courses. SQA GamesSpace allows learners to enter a simulated workplace and carry out an assessment in the 3-D environment. Through interactions with other characters and objects, learners perform tasks to demonstrate their competence. The results of their performance are recorded so that their tutor can mark them. The system is designed to enhance the validity of assessment and ensure that all learners are given the same opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. It also increases engagement by using a medium which is often more attractive to young people than pen and paper..

CLASS
CLASS (Collaborative Learning Assessed by Social Software) is a tool that SQA is trialling for learners studying for the Project-based National Course (PBNC) in Health and Safety in Care Settings. It offers learners a blog and a wiki to record group activities and generate a group project. By recording their personal thoughts and activities in their personal or group blog, learners can demonstrate their understanding of the subject. All members of the group also contribute to the project by editing a group wiki, and work collaboratively to achieve the objectives of the project. Because assessors can see and track the contributions made to the wiki by each member of the group, they can assign marks to learners fairly, and can reward learners who have contributed effectively to the project. Assessors can also award marks based on the reflections of each individual learner recorded in their personal blog.

To find out more about the full range of e-assessment and e-learning activity at SQA please visit www.sqa.org.uk/eassessment

Further case studies and video clips of e-assessment can be viewed here(http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/36343.2253.html)