An evaluation of the effectiveness of a computer-aided assessment system for mathematics and engineering students

Computer-aided assessment is a means by which to assess many students quickly and efficiently. Its popularity as a tool for assessing mathematics increased substantially in the first decade of this millennium as computing and the Internet became more widely available, and as cohort sizes grew. This research sought to evaluate one such system that had been used at a higher education institution for over ten years. However, the literature does not offer a clear or detailed framework from which to perform an evaluation of this system. Using cultural-historical activity theory, and cues from assessment literature, this research presents a model for effective assessment. It provides a framework for judging where an assessment is effective for individuals using the assessment and where it ceases to be effective. Case study analyses helped to identify where the assessment tool was no longer effective. It identified that students struggled to construct new goals after the summative phase of assessment. It also explained how and why the lecturers had diverse practices.