Computer Assisted Assessment: a case study with English linguistics students Dr Paola Trimarco...
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Transcript of Computer Assisted Assessment: a case study with English linguistics students Dr Paola Trimarco...
Computer Assisted Assessment: a case study with English
linguistics students
Dr Paola Trimarco
University Campus Suffolk
context
• 12-week Language Analysis module of an English (Hons) BA course.
• First year students
• 48 students, 29 = 18-25 years old
• Computers widely available at university, but not used specifically in the classrooms.
Role of computers in Language Analysis module
UCS version of Blackboard
Communications:Emails
AnnouncementsGradebook
Classroom activities:Presentations
On-line demonstrations
Outside class:Self-assessments
Group WikiDiscussion forum
Essays on-line
Formative assessment strategyGibbs and Simpson (2004-05):• Frequent assignments or tests (such as
computer-based assessment) can distribute student effort across the course… while infrequent assignments… may result in intensive studying for a week or two immediately prior to the assignment deadline, while topics not covered by the assignment can be largely ignored. (p. 14)
• Coursework : 4 graded, 2 ungraded and 2 self- assessments.
Formative assessment strategy
Self-assessment• General
– Makes learners aware of their needs in a less competitive environment than the classroom
– Builds self-confidence in working within the topic (easier than essay writing)
– Differentiation- optional quizzes & students work at their own pace
• Specific– Tests knowledge of terms and basic concepts that will
be used in other formative and summative assessments
Multiple choice/matching on-line
• Advantages:– ‘an objective format for assessment’ (Biggs
2003)– Unlike paper versions: multiple attempts are
possible & students do not become tempted by ‘answer sheets’
– Some students are motivated by VLEs (Snyder, 2002 and others)
Multiple choice/matching on-line
• Disadvantages:– Gives the answers that students might not
otherwise have known/remembered– Guessing and various game-playing strategies– Limited to ‘objective’ question types– Questions and answers set outside of real-life
contexts– Can take more time to create than paper
versions
Students’ participation
Multiple choice quiz
96% participation
Average score 85%
Students’ participation
Matching grammar quiz
72% participation
Average score 75% on first attempts,
90% on final attempts
Average number of attempts: 2.4
On-line submission of assignments
Advantages:• Students can submit assignments from home at
any hour• Teachers’ comments are readable• Corrected papers are stored for easy reference• Easier to detect plagiarism• Easier to send scripts to external markers• Grades are calculated within the system
On-line submission of assignments
Disadvantages:• Students/teachers who do not like working digitally
will resist• Health concerns for continued work at a computer• Some on-line systems can be more cumbersome
to use than others (from the teacher’s perspective)
Concluding comments
• For self-assessment CAA can prove useful and motivating for students.
• CAA quizzes, such as multiple-choice and matching, are limited in their suitability.
• On-line submissions of assignments have more advantages than disadvantages.
• ‘On-line marking has made me a better teacher,’ Dr. Cathryn Pearce, UCS.