Use of e-assessment nearly doubles at Open University
Year on year use of online assessment is nearly doubling here at the OU. In the last year around half a million quizzes were delivered to students in our virtual learning environment using a combination of the Moodle quiz engine and the University’s in-house OpenMark system.
Interactive Computer Marked Assessment delivery at the OU
The use of the e-assessement tools for summative purposes (affecting the final mark for a module) has risen to around 16% of all quizzes delivered. Meanwhile a new question engine for Moodle has been pioneered by Tim Hunt and Phil Butcher and is scheduled for release this December. Phil says “the new engine has a crispness and consistency that inspires confidence” and he’s pleased to “wave farewell to many of the inconsistencies of the old engine”.
Enhancements planned over the next year include:
- Drag and drop of words onto images
- Drag and drop of images onto images
- New short answer question using pattern-matching algorithm
- New question type using drop-down lists
- New question type to enable placing of markers on an image
- New numerical question type enabling use of mathematical and scientific notation
- New question type to enable incorporation of Java applets (including automated marking of diagrams)
- Audio recording question type
- New authoring interface
- Inclusion of STACK maths questions
- Interface to Learnosity audio recording tool
- Dragging implemented on touch screen devices e.g. iPad
- Better import and export from question bank to facilitate off-line authoring