Workshop 7.

Assessing learner ICT use

Our question:

How can teachers assess the effective use of ICT by learners?

Ring Tone Revolution

Lesley McGuireULTRALAB

A research centre - we are based at Anglia Polytechnic University in Chelmsford

•Research into the use of learning technology

•Empowering the learner

•Developing creative and delightful learning environments

What is ULTRALAB?

The eVIVA Project

The eVIVA project reflects Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) commitment to research into alternative and innovative models of assessment.

•The project is being carried out by Ultralab on behalf of QCA.

• eVIVA ‘electronic virtual ipsative valid assessment’

•Key Stage 3 (11 - 14) Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

•The first phase of the project ran from June 2002 until July 2003 and involved 10 schools in England. (Phase 2 runs until July 2004)

•Groups of 20+ students from variety of schools…

Assessment for Learning

The following features were identified as essential components to the eVIVA system:

•Dialogue between teachers and students about the learning process

•Reflective review of their work by students

•Self-assessment by students

•Peer-assessment of work…

BBC News

Testing students by mobile phone

Empowerment

Also can you tell me more about your website Christine - what audience is it aimed at?

BBC NEWSROUND

“I’m using my mobile to take exams”

“I didn’t like the milestones because it was too much extra work. … The questions were also a bit hard and should have been easier for kids of our age”

“I think it is a bit too adventurous for now”

“My eviva experience was scary because I’ve never experience anything like it…”

Pupil responses…

“It was good that they gave us independence to actually have this experience…”

“Milestones …help us realise how much we know on computers.”

“I think the whole of eviva is good because it would probably change the future of schools and the way we do tests and I think that it was a good idea”.

"I think eVIVA is a good way to show off what your ICT skills are shown as. It's also good because you can see what other people have been doing. Messages are a totally cool idea. I am at the moment having a conversation with a girl from New Zealand. How cool is that?”…

Pupil responses…

“They are better than they thought! It has been motivating for students – positive reinforcement”

“Staff think more about assessment process…focus more on assessment process because teachers have had to talk with children about the process.”

“Students now have far more understanding of the assessment process. This will undoubtedly lead to improvements in the quality of their work.”

“eVIVA has allowed pupils to be more involved in self-assessment and target setting. They have been more thoughtful about their work. For example, they knew they were going to be asked a question about ‘how they took into account the audience’ and therefore were thinking about this as they were working on their webpage on the topic of Healthy Living…”

Teacher responses…

Pupils are motivated and empowered by sharing their work in an online space. Exhibiting their work in an online portfolio appears to give pupils a sense of audience and to lift their expectations.

eVIVA encourages a dialogue about the learning process between teacher and pupil as well as between pupil and pupil

Teachers value having an online portfolio which is easily accessible and supports continuous assessment.

The combination of the VIVA and the annotation tool offers more opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their thinking and processes behind their work.

eVIVA provides pupils with a forum or showcase for their work which helps their confidence.

•During an ICT lesson there are lots of technical demands on the teacher which make 1:1 dialogue with pupils difficult. The eVIVA annotation facility offers an additional opportunity for teacher-pupil dialogue…

Key Findings

eVIVA was extended until July 2004. The aim of the second year of the project was to enable QCA and Ultralab to:

•Refine and test further the self-assessment aspect of eVIVA

•Assess the impact of the use of the portfolio now that the system is understood including issues of manageability and workload for teachers and the use of the tool over time

•Gather more data on annotation and peer assessment and how the eVIVA system impacts on pupils’ sense of audience

•Determine whether or not the evidence pupils post through eVIVA enables a teacher to make a more informed assessment at the end of the process i.e. is eVIVA fit and fair for purpose?

Focus this year

Sue Walton at QCA (waltons@qca.org.uk)

Lesley McGuire at Ultralab (lesley@ultralab.net)

Website: www.eviva.tv

Contact Information: