Access to e-assessment explained
Procedures need to be in place to ensure that disabled learners are given consideration and not disadvantaged when using e-assessment. This needs to be considered and included in the business planning, product specification and impact assessment. Relevant legislation should apply.
Awarding bodies must begin to consider the needs or requirements of disabled learners early on in the development of the system.
Download full principle
We value your opinion on regulation. Add a comment or send us an email.
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) is one of the leading UK awarding bodies and is committed to providing a wide range of general and vocational qualifications that engage learners of all ages. The organisation is dedicated to developing e-assessment across its qualification offer and sees e-assessment and the use of e-portfolios as becoming fundamental in a modern education system.
- E-assessment is more interactive than paper based systems and allows for greater manipulation of data on screen including the use of digital video and audio files.
- Over the years e-assessment has progressed to the development of computer mediated solutions which include online marking, e-testing and the use of digital evidence and e-portfolios.
- OCR’s key focus for e-assessment reflects many of the regulatory principles for e-assessment, namely accessibility, data security, validity and reliability of assessments.
- The biggest challenge is to move more towards on demand assessment.
- Currently success can be demonstrated through the provision of keyskills and basic skills with an average of 85,000 candidates per year taking online assessments.
- E-assessment in GCSEs remains optional but is accessible across the OCR GCSE offer. The e-repository is widely available across most of the GCSEs – it is an eportfolio which allows the acceptance of digital evidence.
- OCR have carried out research into the comparability between digital and paper based portfolio evidence and found that there was a broad equivalence between the two forms when evidencing the same criteria.
Go to case study
NCFE is one of the UK’s fastest growing national awarding bodies, designing and awarding qualifications that are nationally recognised to meet the needs of learners and employers.
NCFE provides a wide range of national qualifications at different levels and in a variety of subject areas including NVQs, Key skills, Basic skills, Functional skills and Entry level
qualifications. Their history of vocational awards spans 150 years from the founding organisation Northern Union of Mechanics’ Institute (NUMI) established in 1848, to the present day awarding organisation NCFE.
NCFE is committed to developing e-assessment across its qualification offer. Currently it operates an online software system called online assessment which allows its centres to deliver multiple choice question papers securely online.
- NCFE feels that IT is used more and more as part of daily life that it’s now a ‘natural’ way to assess candidates.
- The ability to improve services for centres is a key factor and the online assessment tool allows centres to schedule and manage candidate assessments independently and remotely in a secure environment.
- NCFE has published a number of online resources in the form of guidance manuals and online tutorials to support centres. The online assessment software is also available to be downloaded as well as customer help and technical assistance via the telephone.
- Accessibility is probably the main other key focus. NCFE must ensure that centres have the systems and procedures in place to support the use of online assessment and to be able to support them when they have candidates that may not be able to access the system. The online testing currently allows for reasonable time adjustments to be made for candidates who may have particular needs in terms of accessibility.
- The use of multiple choice questions may present some constraints especially with on-demand testing and ensuring that item banks are sufficient to deal with this without creating unfair advantages. NCFE operates a test allocation system that automatically allocates to individual candidates a test that they have not sat before.
Go to case study
EDI is an accredited Awarding Organisation and leading international education company with a wide range of products and services including vocational and professional qualifications both within the UK and internationally through LCCI. EDI has a strong vocational offer with centres across private training providers and colleges of further education. Increasingly they are becoming involved with schools and 14-19 provision and provide a number of technology based solutions which operate on an administrative and full assessment level.
- EDI provides a number of technology based solutions which operate on an administrative and full assessment level.
- GOAL online assessment solution is used in schools to provide interactive and multiple choice online assessments.
- eNVQ is EDI’s web-based electronic portfolio system which allows employers, candidates, assessors and verifiers to load evidence into a multimedia portfolio which can be accessed and managed remotely at any time.
- The key focus for EDI in introducing e-assessment is improving the service to customers without disrupting what they already do.
- Accessibility is also an area of focus especially with the introduction of the new equality act in 2010. EDI has to meet the legislative requirements so that accessibility does not become an issue for e-assessment activities.
- As more schools consider the wider opportunities presented by Foundation Learning, Functional Skills and the specialised Diplomas, they are becoming more aware of the range of possibilities for personalising the curriculum. As an awarding body, EDI needs to respond by ensuring that e-assessment is built into its qualifications.
Go to case study