Project Details

An 18-month research project designed to provide New Zealand tertiary teachers with resources to review and develop their online assessment practices. A collaboration of Unitec Institute of Technology, Massey University and Auckland University of Technology.

Aims:

The primary aims of the project were to:

  • identify the key elements of effective online assessment practice
  • provide support for tertiary teachers to develop the requisite technological and pedagogical skills.

Methodology:

The project methodology included:

  • a literature review
  • interviews with tertiary teachers
  • case studies of good practice
  • development of guidelines and resources for effective online assessment.

Team

massey university

Jane Terrell

Project Leader

Massey University
massey university

Dave Snell

Massey University
unitec

Karen Haines

Unitec Institute of Technology
unitec

Bettina Schwenger

Unitec Institute of Technology
unitec

Mark Smith

Unitec Institute of Technology
AUT

Deborah Hay

Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

Status

Completed

Funding

$26,500.00 (excl GST)

$10,000.00 Regional Hub Project Fund
$16,500.00 Massey University and UNITEC Institute of Technology

Key Findings

  • Online teaching and assessment in some form was now a mandatory component of the workload of many teachers in tertiary education and one that was only likely to increase in size and significance.
  • Tertiary teachers were increasingly expected to assess students using online tasks and tools and frequently adapt these from traditional methods.
  • Effective online assessment offered a range of benefits to both students and teachers including more interactive assessment and feedback, increased efficiency and reduced workload, the ability to meet the needs of increasingly diverse learners, and the opportunity to use new technical and pedagogical skills.

Key Recommendations

Be clear about the purpose of online assessment | Identify the value of online assessment for your learners and how it relates to their learning.

Make the best use of technology | Use as many of the special functions and affordances of, or opportunities provided by, online environments and tools as will enhance your students’ learning experience.

Design for student learning | In online environments, ensure that students are sufficiently supported without depending on face-to-face input around assessments. Spend time on designing tasks that maximise students' learning. Ensure that support mechanisms are explicit, accessible and give 'just-in-time' information.

Ensure teachers are present in online environments | Teacher presence is a crucial aspect not only of online learning but also of sustainable assessment.

Make use of support from colleagues and institutional resources | Developing work in online environments is time-consuming and requires specific skills that may be outside standard job descriptions. Don’t expect to save time initially when setting up online assessments. Alleviate stress by knowing where to go for help.

Find out about current practice | Knowing what other teachers do for online assessments will facilitate your own developing practice. Talk to colleagues about what they do. Read research papers. Make use of the case studies in the report. Many of these principles apply to good teaching, learning and assessment generally and are not specific to online assessment.

Guideline

Getting it Right: Guidelines for Online Assessment in New Zealand Tertiary Contexts

A report prepared by Jane Terrell. 

(PDF, 726 KB, 71-pages).

  • 31 October 2016
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