SELF ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS USING MOBILE DEVICES - ENCOURAGING STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING

The current assessment system is largely based on the pen-and-paper test. For so many years, paper-based test has been the only way to generate smart and reliable assessments of learning. However, the paper-based system do consists of several lacking. For instance, the weaknesses of the pen-and-paper test include the cost of paper and problems in compiling results amongst others. It was even a time-consuming process. Moreover, assessment for learning is not just a strategy or an approach; it is a process that helps students learn. For years, learning analysts have been predicting the integration of mobile learning. But, various factors including slow networks, limited services, anemic devices and a hesitancy by organizations to buy hardware that could soon be obsolete were eventually preventing the adoption of mobile learning. However, all of this is now changing. In this fast developing era where technological advances are rapidly expanding, mobile learning is going on rise as the access devices, mobile phones are already in people’s pockets. One activity of mobile learning is mobile self-assessment. At present, mobile phones form part of an integral commodity for young students and the latter consider them as an essential element in their daily communication devices such as PDA, smart phones and notebooks will also become a crucial commodity for youngsters. As a result, the elevated use of mobile communication devices has prompted the use of these mobile devices in assessment.
The main purpose of this project aims to find out about the technological tools in order to develop and implement mobile self-assessment system intended to benefit students at the University of Mauritius in their learning process. This mobile self-assessment system provides the option of registering students and providing them with a login name and password. Then the system retrieves the modules that the particular student is following at the University of Mauritius and provides him/her with related questions to enhance his/her learning process. These questions are basically in the form of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). After attempting these questions, the mobile self-assessment system automatically corrects the questions attempted and provides a personalized feedback. The student is also provided with his/her learning materials for the modules that he/she is following at the University of Mauritius. Hence, besides the self-assessment of modules, the student is also exposed to leaning material where the latter can helps the student to refer to the lecture notes if he/she is having problems in answering the self-assessment quiz questions. The system also allows lecturers to set up the MCQ quiz questions and to add learning materials for particular modules. The system is also very easy to use. No programming skills are required to use the system. The marking of the test is also performed immediately. Thus, students do not have to wait to view their results. This paper describes how such mobile devices can be used to perform self-assessment by University of Mauritius students and the numerous advantages that it brings along for the learning community.