A framework for evaluating the user experience of digital moderation systems in the South African secondary school environment

The continued emphasis on education quality amidst the accelerating pace of technological developments, which create new opportunities, expectations, and challenges in the teaching and learning environment, requires evidence-based, robust, regulatory frameworks for monitoring standards. Innovative and dynamic approaches are required to quality assure assessment processes (moderation). The reviewed literature provided scant evidence of theorization on the concept of digital moderation (eModeration) and little empirical evidence on systems used in secondary schools. This deficiency in the literature in terms of digital moderation is problematic since it leaves educators, managers, and researchers without evidence-based guidance on how eModeration systems should be designed or evaluated. This deficit provides the rationale for an investigation into the components of a framework to evaluate the user experience of an eModeration system. This study draws on the extant eModeration literature and theories of technology acceptance, Information Systems success (IS) models, and constructs from the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to create a theoretical framework that integrates constructs identified from the different literature streams to evaluate an eModeration system's user experience. A Design Science Research (DSR) approach guided the design, development, and evaluation of an eModeration evaluation framework. A Participatory Action Design Research (PADRE) approach was used to position the user within the iterative DSR cycles as a means of knowledge acquisition. Participatory Design (PD) was positioned as a data collection strategy during requirements gathering and the generation of design ideas for an eModeration prototype system. Qualitative and quantitative data collection was used to record perceptions of individuals interacting with the prototype. The theoretical contribution is the literature-based framework underpinning this study. This theoretical framework was used as input in determining the components of an eModeration evaluation framework, which is the main contribution of this study. This research has practical value in guiding the design of evaluation criteria for the user experience of an eModeration system for implementation in secondary schools.School of ComputingD. Phil. (Information Systems

Research trends in the implementation of eModeration Systems: A Systematic Literature Review

The 2020 COVID-19 health pandemic has accelerated the trend towards digitizing education. Increased digitization necessitates a robust and regulatory framework for monitoring standards in a knowledge society, which requires adaptivity to the continuous changes in the quality assurance processes (moderation). This provides the rationale for an investigation into the literature trends in eModeration processes. This study draws on a systematic literature review as methodology to examine the extant literature on trends in eModeration research including the purpose of the research, methodologies and limitations regarding existing eModeration systems. The findings reveal that there is little, if any, empirical evidence of systems dedicated to online moderation of assessments specifically within the secondary school sector and that eModeration is mainly an emergent phenomenon with numerous adoption challenges, especially in resource constrained contexts

eModeration requirements: a case study in private secondary schools in South Africa

Despite the increasing importance of digitization in all facets of teaching and learning, digital moderation (eModeration) has received little attention in research and practice. No evidence-based requirements on the secondary school environment could be found for the development of a digital moderation system. This finding provided the rationale for an investigation into the requirements for an efficient eModeration system for IT and CAT assessments at grade 12 level in South Africa. A critical literature review was employed to explore eModeration and the requirements for a digital moderation system. This study is novel in exploring the applicability of post-adoption technology acceptance models to a pre-adoption system. The inquiry was guided by the overarching research question of: What are the requirements for an efficient eModeration system for IT and CAT SBA assessments at grade 12 level in SA? This dissertation concludes that there is currently no dedicated eModeration system in use in the secondary school environment. This study draws on the eModeration literature, the technology adoption literature and empirical research in the private secondary school environment of IT and CAT assessments at grade 12 level in South Africa to provide an evidence-based contribution to the requirements for an efficient eModeration system. The findings serve as a theoretical basis for future research into eModeration systems and can make a practical contribution to future practices and policies within schools and assessment bodies.School of ComputingM. Sc. (Computing