This blog was written by Dr Philip Uys, Senior International Education Consultant and Adjunct Associate Professor of Education Systems, Charles Sturt University, Australia.
In this blog, Philip Uys reflects on lessons learned about ensuring quality in online assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily from an Oceanic perspective. Oceania consists of 14 countries of which Australia is the largest.
Philip presented these reflections as part of an International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) webinar for which 650 people from 50 countries registered. Philip is currently the Focal Point on Quality in Oceania of the ICDE Quality Network.
Key lessons learned about ensuring quality in online assessment include:
• Traditional tests were quite easily transferred online through online quizzes.
• Assignments were quite easily submitted online and marked online or offline via learning management systems (LMS).
• Most LMSs have extensive grade books / grade centres that can manage marks, calculate grades and keep track of badges.
• The key challenge has been dealing with traditional exams. Eleven strategies were explored to successfully deal with exams.
Some general observations were also highlighted:
a) Digital assignments accentuate the need for academic integrity.
b) Digital assignments heighten the potential for contract cheating.
c) Online formative assessment and learning analytics rose in prominence.
d) Three key advantages emerged of having digital assessment.
Philip hopes that institutions will not simply return to how they did things before the pandemic, but take the positive lessons learned above during this pandemic and improve and enrich the quality of assessment of our students across the world.
The full slide-deck is available here:
A free book that explores these matters in general terms is available by Mike Douse and Philip Uys:
ONE WORLD ONE SCHOOL – Education’s forthcoming fundamental transformation
