Digital assessments 
a shared solution 
Ingrid Melve, 
NORDUnet2014, Uppsala, 2014-09-24
Digital assessment and exam day 
4 
eCampus: national program for video, collaboration tools 
and IT architecture for flexible higher education 
UNINETT, the Norwegian research network 
Building infrastructure, supporting inter-institutional ICT 
DIGG: digital exam systems development project 
8 universities, 15 university colleges and UNNETT 
Specifications for digital exam: rooms, security, integration etc 
Multiple vendors develop software and help in testing 
Aiming for joint procurement in 2016
2014-06-20 6 
High 
level 
expert 
group 
eCampus 
project 
Local 
pilots 
Digital assessment for all 
students ASAP
Project goals 
7 
Technical solution for exams 
Defining needs, standardization 
Working with vendors to develop solutions 
Large scale roll-out: live test 
Change ”school” exams 
23 universities and colleges 
Students get text processing tools 
Change room requirements 
Change workflow 
Kill paper for millions of exams per semester 
National mandate: find solution
Assessment process: From manual to digital routines 
Prepare Examination Grading 
Feedback on 
grade and 
complaints 
Locality 
Candidate 
Examination 
/ 
questions 
Medium 
Answers 
Status 
Info Journal 
Digital 
Manual 
Digital Digital Digital 
Manual Manual Manual 
FS 
Examination 
- 
registry 
System for register 
examinations 
Formalities 
Overviewt,e.g. 
language-variants 
Shortage, reminders 
Archiving: Need of 
history archiving. 
Critical: Access 
FS 
Answers 
Systems for digital exam 
Challenges: 
•Control access 
•Scaling 
•Context 
•Infrastructur 
•Costs 
•Competence 
Critical: Stability 
FS 
System for digital 
censorship 
-Process support 
-Transparent censorship 
Support for varying 
methodology 
Critical: Access, 
Security, Transfer 
results. 
In general: 
•Must support digital og manualroutines 
•Access to systems. People with loose connection to institution 
•Digital signatures 
•Clarify regulations 
•Different forms of assessment 
•Role of Learning Management Systems 
•Hand over information to internal and national archives 
Need for system 
support. 
Case management 
system 
Integration with archive 
system 
Archiv 
e 
Inform the 
students 
Ministry of Education 
(DBH) 
Norwegian State 
Education Loan Fund 
Figure by NTNU
First time we do 
9 
Digitalization and 
dematerialization of exam 
process 
Policy alignment for 
assessment, at practical level 
BYOD for critical situations 
Integration of multiple 
components for assessments
Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) 
10 
Behov Dialog Konkurranse Leveranse 
Needs Dialog Competition Delivery 
http://www.innova-eu.net/docs/pcp17.pdf
Workflow 
12 
Digital process 
Supported by FS (shared 
student registry) 
Principals 
Teacher, reviewer, grading teacher 
Study administration, library etc 
Student 
Green IT, remove paper
How does it play together? 
14 
Architecture 
What is the framework and 
expectations? 
Best Current Practice 
Aligning practice from 
multiple institutions 
Testing integrations/APIs
Integration 
16 
Shared extract 
Who are the candidates? 
Who are grading exams? 
What are the grades? 
Transparency and complaints 
Workflow handover to other 
systems: archive, student 
registry etc
Integration (gory details) 
18 
Establish integration point 
(Mule) 
Define APIs for exam info 
Test with multiple vendors 
Adjust APIs 
Harden integration point 
Test, test, test, test 
Exam systems 
Student registry 
Calendar, room planning 
Check plagiarism 
Grading system 
Case processing system 
(complaints) 
Archive
BYOD – student´s stuff 
19 
Software requirements 
Hardware requirements 
Practical stuff 
Must have 5-15% PCs to lend to students 
Power supply 
Security aspects 
Specifications and good 
practice documentation
Examination rooms 
20 
Power 
Wifi 
Do you see the screen? 
Security inspections 
BCP document in draft 
Publish in November
Next steps 
24 
Large scale testing 
15% digital for 2015 
60% for 2016 
Best Current Practice docs 
National alignment of practices 
Develop software (vendors) 
Development contracts 
Paperwork and procurement rules 
Joint procurement Q1 2016

Digital Assessments, on Campus and Networks

  • 1.
    Digital assessments ashared solution Ingrid Melve, NORDUnet2014, Uppsala, 2014-09-24
  • 4.
    Digital assessment andexam day 4 eCampus: national program for video, collaboration tools and IT architecture for flexible higher education UNINETT, the Norwegian research network Building infrastructure, supporting inter-institutional ICT DIGG: digital exam systems development project 8 universities, 15 university colleges and UNNETT Specifications for digital exam: rooms, security, integration etc Multiple vendors develop software and help in testing Aiming for joint procurement in 2016
  • 6.
    2014-06-20 6 High level expert group eCampus project Local pilots Digital assessment for all students ASAP
  • 7.
    Project goals 7 Technical solution for exams Defining needs, standardization Working with vendors to develop solutions Large scale roll-out: live test Change ”school” exams 23 universities and colleges Students get text processing tools Change room requirements Change workflow Kill paper for millions of exams per semester National mandate: find solution
  • 8.
    Assessment process: Frommanual to digital routines Prepare Examination Grading Feedback on grade and complaints Locality Candidate Examination / questions Medium Answers Status Info Journal Digital Manual Digital Digital Digital Manual Manual Manual FS Examination - registry System for register examinations Formalities Overviewt,e.g. language-variants Shortage, reminders Archiving: Need of history archiving. Critical: Access FS Answers Systems for digital exam Challenges: •Control access •Scaling •Context •Infrastructur •Costs •Competence Critical: Stability FS System for digital censorship -Process support -Transparent censorship Support for varying methodology Critical: Access, Security, Transfer results. In general: •Must support digital og manualroutines •Access to systems. People with loose connection to institution •Digital signatures •Clarify regulations •Different forms of assessment •Role of Learning Management Systems •Hand over information to internal and national archives Need for system support. Case management system Integration with archive system Archiv e Inform the students Ministry of Education (DBH) Norwegian State Education Loan Fund Figure by NTNU
  • 9.
    First time wedo 9 Digitalization and dematerialization of exam process Policy alignment for assessment, at practical level BYOD for critical situations Integration of multiple components for assessments
  • 10.
    Pre-commercial Procurement (PCP) 10 Behov Dialog Konkurranse Leveranse Needs Dialog Competition Delivery http://www.innova-eu.net/docs/pcp17.pdf
  • 12.
    Workflow 12 Digitalprocess Supported by FS (shared student registry) Principals Teacher, reviewer, grading teacher Study administration, library etc Student Green IT, remove paper
  • 14.
    How does itplay together? 14 Architecture What is the framework and expectations? Best Current Practice Aligning practice from multiple institutions Testing integrations/APIs
  • 16.
    Integration 16 Sharedextract Who are the candidates? Who are grading exams? What are the grades? Transparency and complaints Workflow handover to other systems: archive, student registry etc
  • 18.
    Integration (gory details) 18 Establish integration point (Mule) Define APIs for exam info Test with multiple vendors Adjust APIs Harden integration point Test, test, test, test Exam systems Student registry Calendar, room planning Check plagiarism Grading system Case processing system (complaints) Archive
  • 19.
    BYOD – student´sstuff 19 Software requirements Hardware requirements Practical stuff Must have 5-15% PCs to lend to students Power supply Security aspects Specifications and good practice documentation
  • 20.
    Examination rooms 20 Power Wifi Do you see the screen? Security inspections BCP document in draft Publish in November
  • 24.
    Next steps 24 Large scale testing 15% digital for 2015 60% for 2016 Best Current Practice docs National alignment of practices Develop software (vendors) Development contracts Paperwork and procurement rules Joint procurement Q1 2016

Editor's Notes

  • #9 Prepare: When the professor is starting his work on preparing an assessment paper, he should be able to work digitally. He should be able to co work with his college professor, and they should be able to share the document I “real time” Maybe it exists a “national repository” of e-learning objects (for example a video) and there might be a repository of premade questions When the professor(s) is done, normally the paper must be controlled and approved before it is distributed on. The assessment paper must then be digitally distributed to the examination office, who are responsible for the execution of the actual examination.   Examination It exists a multiple variation on how to execute an exam But the main purpose is to ensure that the student give a digital alternative for digital assessment A universal design and inclusive learning environments to ensure accessibility for students with disabilities.   Grading: The professor and his co-censor should be able to work with the same answer, separately at the same time.   Feedback and complains: Must be integrated with the archive system       Challenges due to; Security, Control access, Scaling, operational stability, Context, Infrastructure, Cost, Competence, Need for support     * The Common Student System (Felles studentsystem FS) is a study administration system developed for universities, scientific colleges and national university colleges. FS is developed by the University Center of Information Technology (USIT), University of Oslo.  FS is the sole study administration system for universities and national university colleges in Norway. It is utilized by 51 institutions, including all Norwegian universities, all national university colleges, the Police College, the Defense Colleges, and several private colleges as well as the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS) [Samordna opptak]. FS is the only study administration system that supports the NUCAS admissions process.
  • #11 All Norwegian Universities still need more knowledge and understanding about needs and required functionality to handle digital assessment. So instead of doing a traditional procurement process, and signing up contract with some vendors for buying a defined system, we are looking into a so called Pre-commercial Procurement process