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Computer Aided Assessment MUST be more than multiple-choice tests for it to be academically credible?
conference contribution
posted on 2006-05-22, 10:45 authored by P. DaviesComputer Aided Assessment (CAA) is being proposed as the means of providing
formative testing to the ever-increasing numbers of students involved in higher
education. A large proportion of this testing is being based around the use of
objective based multiple-choice tests. These tend to make use of the process of
select one out of three possible answers, or to improve the reliability of the process,
one out of four! Obviously there are alternatives to the above, however, a lecturer
initially will use the method that is easiest for them. With the complexity, multifunctionality
and hence steep learning curve involved in setting up these systems,
many lecturers are dumping them before their benefits can be achieved. Question
banks are available, however, these normally require an initial financial outlay. The
questions offered are often general, and may not directly map to the areas covered
in a particular module. No matter what system is utilised for these objective tests, the
criticism offered by CAA sceptics is "we are not developing employable and
transferable skills". Students on leaving higher education will rarely be expected to
produce answers for their employers that require multiple-choice skills, but will be
expected to produce reports, presentations, etc. The question that springs to mind is
... what is our job as educators, to produce clones, or to develop and nurture broader
skills? The use of formative multiple choice tests is also causing a problem in that
students are not being "prepared" to sit their final examinations. These often still take
the format of select three from five questions and then write essays for each of the
selected questions in a limited time period. Having students develop essays as part
of their formative/summative assessment throughout the course of a module, again
brings us back to the time consuming problem of having to mark and provide
formative feedback. This paper introduces the audience to the Computerised Assessment and Plagiarism
system (Davies 2000), that provides an on-line means of students assessing the
essays of their peers, and providing formative feedback. This system has been
successfully used at levels one, two and three of an undergraduate programme in
the field of computer studies at the University of Glamorgan. It has been used for
continual assessment at level one, a combination of multiple choice / peer
assessment at level two, and for self, peer and reflective self-assessment at level
three. The use of this networked tool has produced major positive benefits both for
the students and staff. Its acceptance has not only provided an efficient method for
formative / summative assessment, but has also aided in developing the students'
essay writing skills. From a lecturer's point of view, those who in the past have been
sceptical of the use of peer assessment and the more general use of objective
testing, have become much more receptive to the introduction of these innovative
assessment methods making use of CAA.
History
School
- University Academic and Administrative Support
Department
- Professional Development
Research Unit
- CAA Conference
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26510 bytesCitation
DAVIES, P., 2001. Computer Aided Assessment MUST be more than multiple-choice tests for it to be academically credible? Proceedings of the 5th CAA Conference, Loughborough: Loughborough UniversityPublisher
© Loughborough UniversityPublication date
2001Notes
This is a conference paper.Language
- en
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