Creating e-Assessment Dialogues: Where are we now and where should we be?
Denise Whitelock
The Open University, United Kingdom
Over the last ten years, learning and teaching in higher education have benefited from advances in social constructivist and situated learning research (Laurillard, 1993). In contrast, assessment has remained largely transmission orientated in both conception and in practice (see Knight & Yorke, 2003). This paper examines a number of recent developments, which exhibit innovation in electronic assessment developed at the UK’s Open University. This paper argues for the development of new forms of e-assessment that can promote dialogues for learning where the main driver is that of sound pedagogy rather than state of the art technological know-how and where open source products can move the field forward.There is a recognition that e-assessment accompanied by an appropriate feedback to the student is beneficial for learning (DiBattista et al, 2004; Pitcher et al, 2002). In order to rise to the challenge of students expecting better and quicker feedback, we have built a suite of e-assessments that include feedback to promote dialogue. These aim to reduce the emotional level of feedback in order to allow logical appraisal of advice and which also can provide students with reassurance to take action. Open Comment is one of these systems built for distance learning students working alone. Other tools such as BuddySpace, BuddyFinder with a SIMLINK combination have been developed to assist students to work collaboratively, yet remotely, in order to make predictions, using a science simulation, which were embedded in a series of formative assessment tasks.An analysis of the salient features for all these systems, that can promote a dialogue for learning, revealed that dialogue foregrounds the importance of responsive and flexible approaches to teaching and learning. It involves an active process of interpretation and contingent response, where co-constructed meaning can emerge. Embracing constructivism and developing new types of e-assessment tools can help us to make individual learning work where there is continued pressure on staff resources. Promoting learning dialogues can provide a vision for designing pedagogical practices in more interactive and participatory ways and open source development offers a new way forward but there is still much work to be done.DiBattista, D, J.O. Mitterer, and G. Leanne. 2004. Acceptance by undergraduates of the immediate feedback assessment technique for multiple-choice testing. Teaching in Higher Education 9(1): 17-28Knight, P. and M. Yorke, 2003. Assessment, learning and employability. Buckingham: Open University Press.Laurillard, D. 1993. Rethinking University Teaching: A Framework for the effective use of Educational Technology. London: Routledge.Pitcher, N, J. Goldfinch, and C. Beevers. (2002) Aspects of computer bases assessment in mathematics. Active Learning in Higher Education 3(2): 19-25