Brief setting the scene for SQA joint meeting with JISC_RSC and College Development Network

1. Improving e-assessment uptake
and use in Scotland
Setting the scene
Walter Patterson
8th March 2013

2. Overview
Key
Stakeholders
Contexts
Outcomes
• Who are they?
• What are they doing?
• What are they?
• What opportunities do they provide?
• What outcomes are expected?

3. Key stakeholders
Colleges
Teaching
Staff
Students

4. What are they doing?
Providing online information on e-assessment
Providing resources/toolkits for use in colleges
Publishing case studies / good practice
Providing training for college staff
Providing advice on strategy for managers
Supporting conferences / seminars / webinars
Supporting communities of practice
Collaborating on the above

5. Current contexts
Increasing use
of ICT in
education and
training
Reducing
budgets for
colleges in
Scotland
Period of
significant change
in school age
education (CfE)
Resistance
from teaching
staff to change
Period of dramatic change
in the structure and
organisation of Scottish FE
Quality of learning in focus
through learner voice and
Education Scotland reviews
Increased
competition
for SQA from
other ABs
McLelland report
promoting shared ICT
services (inc VLE)

6. Opportunities
Smaller number of distinct entities to engage in dialogue
Senior managers more willing to consider efficiency savings from e-assessment
Staff more willing to consider benefits to quality of learning from e-assessment
Greater leverage from coordinated efforts of key stakeholders
Bring the learner voice into sharper focus in assessment strategy decisions
Ensure that shared ICT services considerations include e-assessment

7. Outcomes
A clear strategy for engagement with the sector in a
sustained and informed manner. This strategy may:
• include both short term and long term goals
• plan for development of resources to support the
sector
• capitalise on existing strengths within the main
stakeholder agencies
• engage institutions at the highest level to ensure
that corporate strategy includes ‘online’

8. Outcomes (cont.)
The corresponding action plan could include:
• engage curriculum managers to provide
evidence of benefits (quality and
efficiency, better ways of working))
• engage teaching staff to ensure that they are
informed of necessary procedures, and added
value they can expect from e-assessment
• identification of benefits to students and how
to meet their expectations

9. What’s in the mix?
online
assessment
Quality
Assurance
VLEs
e-portfolios
e-verification