Assessment - Design

We all know about multi-choice online assessment - one question, three possible answers, one correct, one almost right and one way off the mark. Click on the right answer, hey presto! up comes the next question. Boring, eh?

Electronic assessments do not have to be like that. Even working within the constraint that a computer is so dumb it can only match something if it is exactly the same, we can create the illusion of a more exciting assessment.

Take these ideas:

• Questions might have to be searched for - the harder to find, the more difficult the question and the higher the score. (Try our Ultimate Quiz Show)
• Questions might 'win'the learner an advantage by 'building' a desired object - such as a town, building or fence.
• Answers may be 'shot at' as in a computer game like the one Edutech KM designed for navy ratings.

Only your imagination and the computer environment you work within will limit the options.

Print-based assessment

Print-based assessments can also have a range of question styles that cater for different learning preferences.

Why preferences? Surely they are through learning by the time they get to assessment?

Well, actually no! Assessment can be an effective reinforcement of learning.

Regardless:

• If a person is a visual learner, they will do better interpreting graphs, maps and pictures
• If they are auditory, they will respond better if the questions are framed in the same way as the lecturer said it
• If they are kinesthetic, they will do better if they have to draw something, or match with lines, or circle their answers

So you can see that learner analysis must be considered throughout development - right up to assessment.

Edutech KM staff are able to help you design assessment for existing material. Click here to make an enquiry.

Edutech KM Ltd

PO Box 25-241, Victoria Street, Christchurch;
phone: 64-3-337-0234
fax: 64-3-337-0235
info@edutechkm.com
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