Interactive e-Assessments

Abstract

It is useful for teachers to reflect on the future formats that will be necessary for assessment tasks. There is currently much discussion concerning the need for immersive and authentic learning environments. Teachers will need to investigate assessments that mix real and virtual environments, testing declarative knowledge and also conditional and procedural capabilities. Teachers will need to contemplate using assessments that measure approaches to problem solving and student responses in terms of efficiency, ethical considerations and the involvement of others. This image of assessment is still sometime away, but will be within reach in the short term. Are academic staff ready to use this framework for assessment? e-Assessment tasks provide opportunities for academic staff to move beyond the type of question traditionally presented in a paper format. Interactivity is possible in e-assessments so that students are more engaged with the prescribed task and permit assessment to become a genuine learning and teaching tool, rather than just a summative evaluation. Java applets and browser plugins enable teachers to create assessment tasks that encourage active participation and the use of real world data or professional tools, to show the extent of student learning. The interactivity inherent in this type of assessment allows students to explore, or make errors, and often seek their own solutions to the assessment tasks. Many java applets are freely available on the web and teachers may use them as stand alone tools within the eassessment task. The science discipline areas such chemistry, biology, geology, physics, mathematics and statistics are well represented, with other discipline areas such as music, business, economics and commerce having some tools available