Implementation of computer assisted assessment: lessons from the literature

This paper draws attention to literature surrounding the subject of computer-assisted assessment (CAA). A brief overview of traditional methods of assessment is presented, highlighting areas of concern in existing techniques. CAA is then defined, and instances of its introduction in various educational spheres are identified, with the main focus of the paper concerning the implementation of CAA. Through referenced articles, evidence is offered to inform practitioners, and direct further research into CAA from a technological and pedagogical perspective. This includes issues relating to interoperability of questions, security, test construction and testing higher cognitive skills. The paper concludes by suggesting that an institutional strategy for CAA coupled with staff development in test construction for a CAA environment can increase the chances of successful implementation

Understanding chromium speciation and mobility in urban-industrial environments

This project seeks to determine the biogeochemical factors that influence transport of Cr(VI) and evaluate its bioaccessibility

Investigating the extent to which children use mobile phone application stores

This paper reports the results of a short survey aimed at examining the extent to which children use mobile phone application stores. Aspects investigated included whether children used application stores on their own or parents’ devices, how children use application stores and whether they think app stores could be improved. The key contribution of this paper is the provision of evidence that children are prolific users of smart phone application stores, children are using both their parents phones and their own phones to access app stores and over half the children who download games do so at a rate of 1-2 per week. The paper also looks at how children choose the games they do on the app store and their view on how easy it is to find their chosen game. Over half the children who download games do so either having played the game before or on the recommendation of a friend. The findings raise issues about the design of app store interfaces / information architectures and whether or not children should be considered in the design of future app store interfaces

Evidence Based Design of Heuristics: Usability and Computer Assisted Assessment

The research reported here examines the usability of Computer Assisted Assessment(CAA) and the development of domain specific heuristics. CAA is being adopted within educational institutions and the pedagogical implications are widely investigated, but little research has been conducted into the usability of CAA applications. The thesis is: severe usability problems exist in GAA applications causing unacceptable consequences, and that using an evidence based design approach GAA heuristics can be devised The thesis reports a series of evaluations that show severe usability problems do occur in three CAA applications. The process of creating domain specific heuristics is analysed, critiqued and a novel evidence based design approach for the design of domain specific heuristics is proposed. Gathering evidence from evaluations and the literature, a set of heuristics for CAA are presented. There are four main contributions to knowledge in the thesis: the heuristics; the corpus of usability problems; the Damage Index for prioritising usability problems from multiple evaluations and the evidence based design approach to synthesise heuristics. The focus of the research evolves with the first objective being to determine If severe usability problems exist that can cause users d?ffIculties and dissatisfaction with unacceptable consequences whitct using existing commercial CAA software applications? Using a survey methodology, students' report a level of satisfaction but due to low inter-group consistency surveys are judged to be ineffective at eliciting usability problems. Alternative methods are analysed and the heuristic evaluation method is judged to be suitable. A study is designed to evaluate Nielsen's heuristic set within the CAA domain and they are deemed to be ineffective based on the formula proposed by Hanson et al. (2003). Domain specific heuristics are therefore necessary and further studies are designed to build a corpus of usability problems to facilitate the evidence based design approach to synthesise a set of heuristics, in order to aggregate the corpus and prioritise the severity of the problems a Damage Index formula is devised. The work concludes with a discussion of the heuristic design methodology and potential for future work; this includes the application of the CAA heuristics and applying the heuristic design methodology to other specific domains

Editorial

As contemporary society becomes increasingly diverse and complex, so does the process of preparing young people for life as independent thinkers, productive citizens, and future leaders. The changing nature of students, the collegiate experience, learning, teaching, and outcomes assessment all have substantive implications for altering educational practice. There is a great deal of evidence that we can enhance learning when as teachers we pay attention to the knowledge and beliefs that our students, our learners, bring to a learning task. We band terms such as learner centred, knowledge centred, assessment centred, community centred as new models of educational reform in our classrooms. Yet we still deliver directly to students via a traditional lecture based methods. We are not dismissing these, as they do have a significant part to play in our relationship with students in the learning process. However as 21st century educators we need to consider additional enhancements to the more ‘formal’ didactic delivery. As we present lectures, seminars, practice sessions and activity based scenarios are we conscious of the focus of pedagogy, does it matter, do we reflect on the process of engagement and interaction. What of the interplay between students, tutors, parents, employers in the learning process? Is this valuable? If so at what level and how does it integrate with what we have in terms of assessment. As we weave a tangled thicket of questions relating to our engagement in the practice of learning and teaching we need to be mindful of what is happening in the wider community.This journal provides an insight into a lively group of like minded individuals at UCLan all engaged in interacting in a variety of ways with their students. Real innovation is often driven by the passionate few, frequently developed in their own time and enthused by a real desire to make a difference to the learning of their students. This motivation is not unique, unusual or perhaps unexpected. However the real problem is in ‘mainstreaming’ this innovative practice or activity. The submissions within this journal reflect this passion and motivation and we hope that many of the papers encourage you, the reader, to take up some of the ideas, and to submit your findings to a future issue of the UCLan Journal of Pedagogic Research.

Designing for GDPR - Investigating Children’s Understanding of Privacy: A Survey Approach

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) places new obligations on businesses that collect and process data from children. It goes so far as to say that privacy notices should be presented in child-friendly and age appropriate formats. Fulfilling GDPR obligations will require designers to have a better understanding of how children understand privacy issues. This research aims to investigate children’s understanding of privacy online. Thirty-two children from a UK primary school, aged between 8 years and 10 years old completed a survey to gauge their understanding of privacy. Eight different scenarios were presented to the children and they had to decide whether the information should be kept private or not and state the reason why. This work identifies that children do have an understanding of privacy, especially when related to online safety. However, children do not yet understand that their data has an inherent value, have misconceptions about data and what data should be protected. This highlights the challenges for designers of technology used by children to meet the GDPR obligations

Child-Centered Security

Children are spending more time online through the use of digital toys, games and the internet. These activities make children potentially vulnerable to security threats. This position paper puts forward an argument for and against creating a new research discipline in child-centered security, as a fusion of user-centered security and child computer interaction

Piloting CAA: All Aboard

This paper examines the initial findings from a pilot project to determine the appropriateness of CAA software for university wide deployment. The various stakeholders within the institution have been identified and their opinions of CAA have been ascertained. Based on the findings a framework for incorporating CAA into modules is presented along with an analysis of the current barriers to adoption. The results suggest that there is overall support for the adoption of CAA but without support measures in staff development the uptake may be reduced