Abstract:

Technology deployment in higher education is at a thriving stage, with an increasing number of institutions embracing the possibilities afforded by technological tools and a mounting interest from teachers who are becoming more familiar with the intricacies of technology. There are several aspects of higher education that have been digitalised and transformed by the constant technological advancements of key tools for learning. Assessment, as an integral part of learning, has also been adopting a growing number and variety of tools to assist the measurement of the learning outcomes of the students. In general terms, e-assessment can be defined as the deployment of technology to support the assessment process. Through the use of technology, e-assessment represents the opportunity to not only develop assessment activities more frequently, but also to reach more students, which can be valuable for teachers facing the challenges of assessing courses with a high enrolment number. Moreover, the benefits of e-assessment are equally felt at a financial level, in the possibility to develop adaptive testing activities and in all the affordances that grading automation offers.

E-assessment activities, both formative and summative, can be developed with the assistance of a panoply of technologies, such as e-assessment systems, e-portfolios, online quizzes, gamification, Web 2.0 tools such as wikis or forums and digital whiteboards. While this variety of tools brings immeasurable possibilities, some teachers may experience certain difficulties in face of such diversity. It can be particularly challenging to select the most adequate technology to address their particular assessment needs and the most adequate to suit the nature of the courses they teach. Additionally, they also have to consider the level of complexity of the e-assessment tools to ensure that they have the skills to master them and that their students can effortlessly use them.

This paper intends to examine the technology that is available to develop effective e-assessment practices. It reviews key literature about the use of technology to develop assessment in higher education to provide a comprehensive account of the tools that teachers can use to assist the assessment of their students’ learning outcomes. A deeper and more detailed understanding of the array of tools that is available for e-assessment can assist teachers to make better and more informed choices about the technology that they deploy for the support of the e-assessment activities that they develop. The e-assessment instruments that are presented in this paper have different degrees of complexity, ranging from simple e-exams to the use of complete gamified learning and assessment experiences. They represent varied solutions that can be adapted to an ample assortment of assessment scenarios and needs, and they extend the possibilities of assessment far beyond the limits of conventional grading, offering a more current and more adequate answer to the demands of the contemporary higher education sector.

Keywords:

Electronic assessment, e-assessment systems, higher education.