Abstract:

This paper presents a model of digital assessment in online study programs at Vestfold Tertiary Vocational College (VTVC). The goal has been to design online electro study programs that are in alignment with White paper 16, 2016-2017 “Quality Culture in Higher Education”. Our long-term goal is to contribute to a culture of quality in assessment in all the vocational colleges study programs.

Since 1998, when OECD described Norwegian higher education institutions as «exam giving institutions» (OECD, 1998) much has changed. In 2003, the Quality Reform of higher education was introduced. This marked a full integration of the Bologna Declaration as signed at the Ministerial Conference in Bologna (1999). The way our teaching programs are organized, both in terms of teaching and learning activities and assessment, is shaping the culture.

Students at online study programs at VTVC are mostly adults with daily work and family life, studying part time. They expect an effective and flexible education and a high degree of relevance between the curriculum and their daily challenges at work. The traditional approach to assessment in the electro study programs has been teaching followed by testing. The learning activities have mostly been lectures and tutorial. As a result, the students’ focus is on exams.

The new model makes use of student active learning, such as for example student blog, and both peer and teacher assessment. Some of the learning activities are at the same time assessment for and as learning. After each online lecture, the students submit a report, which is their summary of the lecture and ideas on how to operationalize the knowledge into their own workplace; and a reflection on their own learning process. In the early stages of trying out the model, the students received feedback only from the teacher. The next edition of the model also includes peer assessment. The assessment practices are now more criterion-referenced (Biggs, 2003). The students participate in discussions of the criteria for each assignment, and their portfolios are subject to a final summative assessment.

The model includes use of learning analytics from the digital platform, to assess the students’ effort, their progress according to plan, their self-assessment and their experience of the learning environment. An eLearning coordinator writes monthly reports for the students and for school leaders and teachers, enabling the latter to monitor the overall quality of the study program.

This paper departs from the assumption that quality in learning is both a collaborative and personal endeavor where dialogue, reflection, negotiation of meaning, and collaborative knowledge building are important aspects.

So far, the model has been tested in three electro online study programs at VTVC, and we present some preliminary findings based on feedback from stakeholders.

Keywords:

Vocational education, digital assessment, culture of quality, student active learning activities, peer assessment, learning analytics, collaboration.