Scottish Qualifications Authority's perspective
What is the SQA’s view on ICT-based assessment?
SQA has been working with universities and others, since 2000, to explore the requirements for valid and reliable ICT-based assessment and online assessment. Pass-IT is providing experience to allow SQA to provide guidance in this area. We wish to facilitate the use of ICT-based and online assessment in centres and ask that you raise with us any assessment and quality assurance issues which will inform the longer term development of guidance in this area.
What about SQA Moderators/Verifiers and Quality Assurance Managers - will they accept electronic evidence?
Yes – SQA Moderators/Verifiers focus on the validity of assessment instruments, how they are applied, and the reliability of centres' assessment decisions. They will consider assessment instruments and candidate evidence whether in paper or electronic form, but it must be accessible and organised for the moderation/verification event.
The external moderation/verification activities necessary for online assessment are the same as for traditional forms of assessment, unless the assessment has been developed from a prior-moderated item bank with reference to a pre-determined test specification.
SQA Quality Assurance Managers focus on the centre's quality systems, which support the delivery and assessment of SQA qualifications. For online assessment, a centre must consider how to accommodate a number of quality assurance issues. For example;
- development of online assessments - they must be valid, reliable and practicable
- support for different delivery methods - invigilated assessment sessions, remote assessment, open-book assessment, electronic portfolios
- use of appropriate software
- development of a supportive hardware infrastructure
- identification of staff training and development requirements - management, teaching staff (assessors and internal verifiers) and support staff
- identification of candidate needs - general training needs for online assessment, additional support needs
- secure storage of assessment data
- access for SQA Moderators/Verifiers.
Guidance on e-Moderation, for centres and for SQA Moderators/Verifiers, will be issued before the end of the year (2004) and the SQA publication Guidelines on Online Assessment for Further Education (March 2003, AA1641) addresses some online assessment and ICT-based assessment issues.
What do I do if I want to offer online assessment now?
If you are already offering online assessment and expecting moderation of these awards please contact the SQA Moderation section by email – moderation@sqa.org.uk. If you plan to offer a new award using online assessment please contact the SQA Approval section by email - approval@sqa.org.uk. Tell us which units (or outcomes of units) you offer, or wish to offer, using online assessment and details of the assessment instruments. Let us know of any quality assurance concerns you may have about the use of online assessment in general or for the identified units.