Abstract:

SPARKPLUS is a powerful e-learning tool developed through evidence-based research. It uses a common interface to facilitate a wide variety of individual and collaborative assessment and learning activities providing a unique combination of functionality, features and flexibility to allow instructors to create innovative learning oriented assessments.
SPARKPLUS is used by Universities, Industry educational providers and Government Departments. It has 8 major modes.

1 GROUP CONTRIBUTION
Students assess and provide written feedback on their own and their team peers contribution to a group project. A performance factor (RPF) used to convert a group mark into an individual mark and anonymised comments provides students with feedback on their level of contribution. A feedback factor (SA/PA) and visual comparisons provide students with feedback on their perceptions of their contribution compared to the perceptions of their peers.

2 STUDENT BENCHMARKING
A student’s assessments (rating and supporting critical evaluations) are compared to a benchmark (usually instructor) assessment and their peers.

3 MULTIPLE ASSESSOR
All group members assessments are shown on a series of sliders, accommodates simultaneous comparisons of self-assessments with the assessments of other individuals and/or groups, for example, student peers, instructors, industry experts et cetera. As with all SPARKPLUS modes instructors have the choice of choosing identified or anonymous reporting. This mode is frequently used for benchmarking, standards construction, student developed rubric generation, collaborative assessments and self and peer review of submissions and presentations.

4 MULTIPLE CHOICE AND FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS
Facilitates multiple choice question with or without the requirement for students to explain their chosen answer. Instructors can also choose to include free response questions or a combination of a multiple-choice question with a linked free response follow-up question. Publication of the results allow students to compare their answers and responses to their peers and instructor.

5 MULTIPLE CHOICE - MULTI ATTEMPT
Multiple choice questions where you specify the number of attempts allowed. Immediate feedback is provided. Flexibility to determine the percentage of mark awarded for the attempt the correct answer was chosen. For example; 100% on the first attempt, 50% on the second attempt, 25% of the third attempt and 0% on the fourth and fifth attempt. (This mode can also support answering questions by eliminating the incorrect answers).

6 SURVEY/FORMATIVE REVIEW
Same flexibility as multiple choice except not graded and participants can be asked to acknowledge their consent to participate (useful for research projects)

7 CLICKER
Student use mobile phones, tablets or PCs to answer questions in class, results displayed via histogram, comments categorised for different answer responses. Results can be published so students can compare their answers and comments with their peers in their own time.

8 COLLABORATIVE MODE
Allow students to review individual ratings and reasoning (identified or anonymously reported) and subsequently collaborate to reassess, provide an opinion and or answer questions about a specified activity or artefact.
All SPARKPLUS modes support several different publishing options that allow students to compare their judgement, answers and reasoning with instructors and or their peers.

The paper will focus on presenting two case studies describing how SPARKPLUS has been used to improve both student learning and their learning experience. The first will describe the combination of out of class pre-work and collaborative classwork in a flipped classroom environment. The second will describe self and peer assessment of a student’s contribution to a group project or activity.

Keywords:

Self and peer assessment Collaborative learning, Flipped learning.