Can web thin clients be used to create flexible assessment spaces in a higher education setting?

For many HE institutions, a major factor inhibiting the wider deployment of computer-based objective assessment is the lack of suitable IT suites. The advent of pervasive wifi within HE campus environments, combined with the development of portable and low-cost browser-based devices, motivates the question of whether existing teaching spaces can be used as venues for computer-based assessment. This work describes the results of a pilot study aimed at investigating some of the technical and logistical issues surrounding this question and evaluating student perceptions of this particular implementation of an educational technology

Effect of Time Allotmenton Test Scores for Academic Writing of Indonesian Learners of English

To confirm the most effective time allotment for IELTS test-takers, this study is carried out to examine how different time allotments (30 or 50 minutes) affect students` writing skills. This study used a range of measures to assess the test takers` writing. Participants were also interviewed about their perceptions under the two-timing conditions. The study revealed that students` writing skills only increased concerning fluency under the longer (30-min) time condition. Complexity also improved, yet it was very marginal, thus making it hard to conclude. Despite the overall insignificant differences of students` scores under the two-timing conditions, students were confident and believed that they did a better essay under the more extended time allotment. The study confirms that test-takers could do writing section in IELTS better in a longer time allotment than those given a shorter time allotment. Practicality seems to be the most convincing reason which causes test providers to set limited time for the test administration, specifically for academic writing tasks. As far as we are concerned, a few studies are specifically focused on investigating the effects of time allotments for argumentative writing tasks, this work is an attempt to fill in this gap