Online Assessment of the Birmingham MBA

Joseph Berry

Birmingham Business SchoolJune 2008

Contents

Background Choices The Exam Issues Costs Benefits

Background

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E-Learning at BBS

Team structure Admin integration Central services – WebCT Example projects

Module Details

Accounting for Managers A module FT MBA programme First semester, mid-term exam Originally examined by essay Material 69 students

The problem

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Marking

Feedback

Feedback and resource issues

“With reducing resources, giving students sufficient appropriate support and feedback is becoming more difficult. One solution is to use the web to deliver self assessment materials that allow the students to gain a measure on their understanding of course materials.”

Peat, 2000.

Importance of feedback

“Computerized tests can be administered quickly with instantaneous feedback, allowing students to take appropriate remedial action before continuing with the course.”

Sangster, A. 1996.

Choices

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Is online assessment feasible?

Facilities Levels of learning Support

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Technology choices

Question types Feedback level Presentation options Delivery options (timer, password, random) Question Mark Perception versus WebCT?

Technology choices – Saving time

Respondus ( http://www.respondus.com/ ) Word-based MCQ conversion Integration with WebCT Screenshots -

http://www.respondus.com/products/screens-respondus.shtml

The Exam

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Question Types used

13 calculation questions 10 multiple choice questions (single or

multiple answers) 2 paragraph questions Total of 25 questions

Calculation Type

Practice exam

Tech experience International students Bugs!

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Delivery settings

Use the timer Apply a password Do not allow marks to be

released automatically

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Exam Procedure

One technical support staff member per thirty students

10% additional PC capacity per cohort Allow fifteen minutes before start of exam to

iron out technical difficulties Remind students to save after EVERY

question

Issues encountered

Dyslexic Student Question Title versus Question Text Technology failures mid-test

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Summary

Costs

E-Learning support Technical support during

exam Question reworking Preparation time

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Benefits

Feedback Automatic marking Student revision aid No paper is wasted Reusable bank of questions Question statistics Scores can be released

immediately, or delayed for moderation

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The Future

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References

Peat, M. (2000). Online assessment: The use of web based self assessment materials to support self directed learning. In A. Herrmann and M.M. Kulski (Eds), Flexible Futures in Tertiary Teaching. Proceedings of the 9th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 2-4 February 2000. Perth: Curtin University of Technology. http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2000/peat.html)

Brown, S. Race, P. & Bull, J. 1999. Computer-assisted Assessment in Higher Education. Routledge.

Aisbitt, S. & Sangster, A. 2005. Using Internet-based On-line Assessment: A Case Study. Accounting Education: an international journal. Vol. 14, No. 4, 383-394, December 2005