Computer Aided Examination
Electronic supported assessment or e-Assessment is a field of growing importance, but it has yet to make a significant impact in the Australian higher education sector
(Byrnes & Ellis, 2006). Current computer based assessment models focus on the assessment of knowledge rather than deeper understandings, using multiple choice type questions, and blocking access to more sophisticated software tools. This study explored a new system based on a customised version of an open source live CD, based on Ubuntu which was used with three groups of pre-service teachers (N=270).
Students had divided opinions about using computers or paper for their examinations, but prior exposure to computer based assessment was a highly significant factor for preferring the computer medium. Reflecting upon their experience, students found the noise of computer keyboards a distraction during the eExamination and preferred fewer on-screen windows. The new system allowed eExaminations to be taken securely on student owned laptop computers and was supervised by invigilators without specialist information technology skills. The system has been made available for other researchers to use at http://www.eExaminations.org/
Introduction
Many educators ‘teach to the test’, with varying degrees of institutional support
(Mathews, 2006). Therefore for information and communication technology (ICT) to produce educational transformation (Downes, Fluck, Gibbons, Leonard, Matthews,
Oliver, Vickers & Williams, 2001, p.10; Finger, Russell, Jamieson-Proctor & Russell,
2007, p.73), educators must consider which assessment techniques permit students to utilise the affordances of new technology. Without a suitable, computer based way of conducting examinations (as an example of rigorous or standardised assessment), curriculum transformation may be unlikely to occur because
(Byrnes & Ellis, 2006). Current computer based assessment models focus on the assessment of knowledge rather than deeper understandings, using multiple choice type questions, and blocking access to more sophisticated software tools. This study explored a new system based on a customised version of an open source live CD, based on Ubuntu which was used with three groups of pre-service teachers (N=270).
Students had divided opinions about using computers or paper for their examinations, but prior exposure to computer based assessment was a highly significant factor for preferring the computer medium. Reflecting upon their experience, students found the noise of computer keyboards a distraction during the eExamination and preferred fewer on-screen windows. The new system allowed eExaminations to be taken securely on student owned laptop computers and was supervised by invigilators without specialist information technology skills. The system has been made available for other researchers to use at http://www.eExaminations.org/
Introduction
Many educators ‘teach to the test’, with varying degrees of institutional support
(Mathews, 2006). Therefore for information and communication technology (ICT) to produce educational transformation (Downes, Fluck, Gibbons, Leonard, Matthews,
Oliver, Vickers & Williams, 2001, p.10; Finger, Russell, Jamieson-Proctor & Russell,
2007, p.73), educators must consider which assessment techniques permit students to utilise the affordances of new technology. Without a suitable, computer based way of conducting examinations (as an example of rigorous or standardised assessment), curriculum transformation may be unlikely to occur because