A Call to Action: A Systematic Review of Ethical and Regulatory issues in using Process Data in Educational Assessment

Analysis of user-generated data (for example process data from logfiles, learning analytics, and data mining) in computer-based environments has gained much attention in the last decade and is considered a promising evolving field in learning sciences. In the area of educational assessment, the benefits of such data and how to exploit them are increasingly emphasised. Even though the use of process data in assessment holds significant promise, the ethical and regulatory implications associated with it have not been sufficiently considered. To address this issue and to provide an overview of how ethical and regulatory requirements interface with process data from assessments in primary and secondary education (K-12), we conducted a systematic literature review. Initial results showed that few studies considered ethical, privacy and regulatory issues in K-12 assessment, prompting a widening of the search criteria to include research in higher education also, which identified 22 studies. The literature that was relevant to our research questions represented an approximate balance in the number of theoretical and empirical studies. The studies identified as relevant interpret issues of privacy largely in terms of informed consent and the research pays little attention to ethical and privacy issues in the use of process data in assessment. The implications for the field of educational assessment and the use of process data are discussed. This includes the need to develop a specific code of ethics to govern the use of process- and logfile data in educational assessment

Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference

Bridge21 is an innovative approach to learning for secondary education that is team and project based and that takes place in a technology mediated environment. Bridge21 was conceptualised and structured initially as an outreach intervention whereby participants attended workshops at a dedicated learning space within a third-level institution leading to refinement of a particular model of technology-mediated group-based learning. This paper reports on the current expansion of the Bridge21 project to mainstream schools at a time of proposed Government led reforms for lower secondary education in Ireland. Data were drawn from case studies with two participant schools over the course of academic year 11/12. Student experiences and views were captured by means of questionnaires which amongst other items asked students to create a visual depiction of their Bridge 21 experiences. Teacher experiences and views were gleaned by means of focus group interviews. Overall students reported positive experiences of the programme. Teachers were also positive but reflected the challenges of implementing a new approach to learning in the context of existing norms with respect to pedagogy and assessment. The application of visual research methodologies provided an innovative and useful complementary insight into students? experiences of the interventio

Aligning assessment, learning and teaching in curricular reform and implementation

This paper aims to present for discussion a number of issues that will be pertinent when considering the role of assessment in the redeveloped primary curriculum. As the NCCA have articulated, ?in a climate of change, different stakeholders are making different assumptions about assessments? and ?there is a need to articulate a clear vision for the assessment landscape.? This paper represents a first step towards articulating this vision. Six key questions have been posed by the NCCA, as follows: 1. What clear definitions or statements of assessment would provide clarity in the primary education system level? 2. What definitive principles of assessment should be promoted to support an outcomes based curriculum at primary level? 3. How can a theoretical framework for assessment enhance and promote greater teacher autonomy and agency in the context of a redeveloped curriculum? 4. How do we conceive standardised tests to avoid distortions or narrowing in the education process such as teaching-to-the-test and narrowing of the curriculum? (in the context of the 2007 continuum) 5. What is the rationale for designating or not designating domain specific assessment practices in a primary curriculum? 6. How or what is it that should be spotlighted when we think about a broad and balanced curriculum? These six questions will be addressed in turn. In responding to each question, we have made a conscious effort to contextualise our responses appropriately, in order to maximise the utility of the paper. That is, where possible, the discussion is mapped on to current thinking regarding assessment (garnered from a consultation of extant NCCA literature), and in light of existing government policies that have, and will continue to have significant implications for assessment practice. Finally, the main messages of the paper are consolidated and summarised