e-Assessment:Authoring Techniques and

Pedagogy

Nader Jarmooz 2013

e-AssessmentLearning Objective: an introduction to e-assessment and its importance in Blended Learning;Learning Activity: e-assessment pedagogy and authoring e-questions, and implementation in Moodle quizzes;Learning Resources: templates adapted from SQA SOLAR Project for implementation into moodle quizzes.

By the end of this session, participants will be: Introduced to e-assessment pedagogy Able to create a bank of e-questions for implementation

within Moodle quizzes.

What is e-Assessment?e-assessment refers to use of technology for developing and delivering assessments in formative and summative formats (Computer Assisted Assessment).

It is an integral part of e-Learning for reinforcing learning and provision of formal and informal evidence requirement.

It is embedded within VLEs and forms part of the learning and teaching process.

Why e-Assessment?Used mainly for two purposes:1. To test learner’s understanding of the subject:

Learner self-assessment: enabling learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses

Provides access to testing from any location and at any time

2. To verify validity of the learning and teaching: Enables teachers to provide automated timely and

effective feedback to learners Provides a measure of learner progress Gauges the effectiveness of the learning and

teaching process for a given subject.

Advantages and DisadvantagesIncreased variety of test formatsIncreased learner engagementIncreased number of questions and attemptsIncreased number of learnersAutomated markingAutomated feedbackFacilitating self-assessmentDemands additional up-front investment in timeRequires additional IT knowledge

Blooms TaxonomyWhy is the taxonomy so important?Prior to setting any test or question, the tutor must identify the level of cognate activity being undertaken, and clarify the level of learning that is expected from the learner.

e-Assessment Question Typese-Assessment questions generally fall within two categories of Selected Response (objective), and Constructed Response (subjective).

Moodle offers several types of questions as shown in the opposite diagram.

Multiple Choice/Response, Matching, and True/False QuestionsMultiple Choice Questions (MCQ), and their variant Multiple Response Questions (MRQ), are the best known form of e-assessment. MCQ is formed from a question or an incomplete statement (Stem), with options for one or more correct answers (Key), and a number of incorrect answers (Distractors). Matching questions are another variation of the multiple choice format where learners are asked to match a series of stems or premises to a response or principle. They consist of a set of directions, a column of statements and a column of responses.

True-False question is yet another form of the multiple-choice format where there are only two possible alternatives. These questions can be used when the test-designer wishes to measure a student’s ability to identify whether statements of fact are accurate or not.

Some basic guidance• Distractors should be plausible alternative; avoid ‘all of the above’ .

• Present a single, definite statement /question to be completed or answered.

• Use clear, straightforward language in the stem of the question.

• Put as much of the question in the stem as possible,

• For single response MCQs, ensure that there is only one correct response.

• Avoid giving clues to the correct answer.

• Matching questions are particularly good at assessing the learner’s

understanding of inter-relationships.

• MCQs can be used as tests for most levels of cognate activities

• True-false questions offer a fast and efficient method for testing a wide range

of material in a short period of time but limited in scope.

• Provide meaningful feedback.

e-Assessment is a powerful and rapidly evolving tool that can

enhance Learning and Teaching