eAssessment

Moving from paper based to online delivery

eAssessment is broadly defined as the use of computers and software to evaluate skills and knowledge in a formal or informal educational setting.

Moving traditional based assessments from pen and paper to computers, offers a flexible way to improve feedback, supports greater accessibility and flexibility of traditional models, introduces a richer range of materials and question types and improves the students teaching and learning experience.

Uses for eAssessments vary from:

• Diagnostic: used to identify students current knowledge, skills and abilities through self tests and objective questioning,


• Formative: carried out throughout a course which help to measure student progress and include the provision of feedback and


• Summative assessments which entail online coursework (essays, reports, theses, projects, etc), marking and feedback online, plagiarism detection and online exams.

Amongst the benefits of eAsssessments are minor development effort required, ease of marking, reduced administrative burden, geographic access and time flexibility, consistency, accuracy, convenience, security and question reusability with questions made clearer and more detailed through the use of text, sound and video which can aid motivation.