As technology within schools becomes increasingly common it is to be expected that this technology will begin to infiltrate even the way assessment is conducted in schools. There are various technologies that can be utilised in different ways to facilitate assessment that is both interesting and engaging for students whilst also improving student outcomes. These technologies can be seen in the concept map below:
Assessment using ICT is a fantastic way to engage students in tasks that they may otherwise find mundane and boring. It is also a wonderful way in which teachers can encourage peer feedback. If this feedback is provided via a social networking site such as Twitter or Facebook (in a teacher-moderated fashion, of course) then this feedback becomes more instantaneous and also more meaningful to the 'digital native' generation of current students. Naturally, assessment using ICT and in particular technologies such as Facebook and Twitter can have its drawbacks, especially in regards to privacy and cyberbullying etc. If a teacher does, however, have a definitive method of dealing with these issues and understands the technology and how students may be utilising it in their everyday, out-of-school lives then there is no reason why these risks cannot be minimised and this technology used safely and effectively.
More contemporary practices of assessment are embracing the idea of continuous student feedback from both teachers and peers. Technology is particularly conducive to this with blogging in particular providing opportunities for both teacher and peer-based feedback via the comments section (Campbell & Kent, 2013). McGuire comments upon the importance of providing assessment feedback to students, stating "any assessment tool or process which aims to enable the students to reflect on their work over time...., gives them meaningful feedback from their teacher and their peers, empowers them and provides the teacher with a variety of evidence to support their judgements surely has to be worth a consideration!" (2005). Modern technologies provide extensive opportunities for teachers to collect a variety of evidence, other than the end product, in order to mark students' work. Two such technologies are wikis and Google Docs. These technologies provide a more effective mode of collaborative assessment with teachers being able to access the documents and also see who has contributed what material, ensuring that all students are participating equally in the project and allowing the teacher to allocate marks accordingly (Campbell & Kent, 2013). This provides a great example as to why technology has a place in contemporary assessment practices within schools. Technology allows teachers to do more effectively what they have previously been attempting to do with assessment, whether this be to be able to definitively state who has contributed what to a group assignment or whether this be providing continuous feedback to students. Furthermore, exhibiting their work in an online forum has been found to increase students' expectations by giving them the idea of an audience for their work (McGuire, 2005). Technology also provides teachers with the opportunity to better understand their students and their knowledge base through apps such as Google Forms, allowing teachers to analyse student data and results to create a fuller picture of the student and thus be better equipped to teach their class (Campbell & Kent, 2013).
In my opinion, modern assessment should be tailored to the student and be designed to engage and inspire them, thus allowing them to create the best possible work and achieve the best possible result. It has been found that when an online portfolio was created by students for assessment, teachers reported "increased self-esteem" and "pupils taking responsibility for their own learning and becoming independent learners" (McGuire, 2005). Old modes of assessment may have suited former students; however they are out-dated and unfamiliar to the current generation of 'digital natives'. In order to truly improve student outcomes and also inspire a generation of life-long learners, assessment should incorporate technology in new and interesting ways to excite students, improve teachers' understanding of their students and ultimately provide better opportunities for students to achieve.
One example of assessment using ICT that may engage students more effectively than traditional modes of assessment is to have students create an online game to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts being studied in class. For example, students could use an online game-maker or a free app (if they have access to devices such as iPads etc.) to create a game such as this one from the website Science Kids that asks the player to label the different bones of different skeletons.
Works Cited
McGuire, L. (2005). Assessment Using New Technology. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 42(3), 265-276. Retrieved from search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/docview/210668036.
Campbell, C. & Kent, P. (2013). Technology for Assessment. In, Assessment for Teaching Today: A guide to assessment strategies and activities (pp.34-43). Australia: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.
Game courtesy of Science Kids: http://sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/movinggrowing.html
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