Abstract:

The Philosopher’s Stone for e-assessment in the Humanities at degree level is to fashion items of appropriate sophistication to the level while avoiding ambiguity. This presentation is based on the outcome of recent projects led by the two authors at the University of Winchester which indicate a pathway to the Stone, if not its capture. The project involved working within the limitations of a readily available freeware platform (Moodle) to radically overhaul the assessment regime for Level 4 BA English modules. The presentation will demonstrate the innovative structures developed to achieve the following objectives - to:
• integrate formative assessment into modules;
• encourage wider reading and greater participation in seminar discussion;
• achieve early identification of struggling students;
• produce valuable statistics to enable closer monitoring of student progress;
• target structured learning activities more closely to demonstrated student needs;
• more easily assess the effectiveness of the lecture / seminar programme;
• improve achievement of learning objectives;
• avoid plagiarism;
• respond to pressure for prompt return of marked work;
• produce efficiencies in terms of best use of tutor time;
• provide instant feedback;
• overcome student resistance to transitional material from Level 3 to 4.

Based on the outcomes of these projects, the presentation will assess the value of this approach using this software and will seek to identify a productive way forward for e-assessment and e-learning more broadly in Higher Education institutions. The presentation is to address the key problem of academic resistance to e-assessment in the Humanities by demonstrating that:
• the above objectives can be met by utilising readily available software;
• the ‘quiz’ facility in such software is capable of doing much more than test memory;
• initial investment of time pays dividends in subsequent time-saving;
• practical obstacles can be overcome;
• e-learning is itself a productive area for research.