Technology enhances assessment and feedback, improving student retention and reducing exam anxiety.

Why It Matters

Designers and educators can leverage technology to create more effective and inclusive learning environments. This approach addresses practical constraints like large class sizes and geographical dispersion, while also fostering a more positive and less stressful assessment experience for students.

Key Finding

The research indicates that using technology for assessment and feedback positively impacts student learning, retention, and well-being, with no negative effects on specific demographic groups and potential for increased reliability in automated marking.

Key Findings

• Assessment for learning shows an effect size between 0.34 and 0.46.
• Technology enables effective learning designs that overcome limitations of time, student numbers, and geographical distribution.
• Regular online testing can improve student learning and test performance.
• Technology-enhanced methods can increase student retention and inclusion, and reduce exam anxiety.
• Technology-based methods do not disadvantage women or older students.
• Automated marking can be more reliable than human marking.

Research Evidence

Aim: What are the evidence-based impacts of technology enhancement on assessment and feedback in higher education?

Method: Literature Review

Procedure: A comprehensive review of 142 recommended academic references was conducted, focusing on accessible peer-reviewed materials and papers related to technology-enhanced assessment and feedback. The review analyzed the types of evidence presented, the focus of the research, and key findings regarding student and tutor reactions and outcomes.

Sample Size: 124 references reviewed

Context: Higher and Further Education in the UK

Design Principle

Leverage technology to democratize and enhance the assessment and feedback process, ensuring equitable outcomes and improved learning.

How to Apply

When designing educational tools or platforms, prioritize features that facilitate regular online testing, provide automated feedback, and offer flexible assessment methods to accommodate diverse student needs and learning styles.

Limitations

The review relied on available literature, with a significant portion not being peer-reviewed or providing experimental data. The focus was primarily on student and tutor reactions, with less emphasis on objective performance metrics in some cases.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Using computers and online tools for tests and giving feedback can help students learn better, stay in school, and feel less stressed about exams. It works for everyone, and automated grading can be more consistent than a person grading.

Why This Matters: This research shows that technology isn't just a tool for delivering content, but can fundamentally improve how we assess learning and provide feedback, leading to better outcomes for students and educators.

Critical Thinking: To what extent do the reported benefits of technology-enhanced assessment and feedback outweigh the potential challenges related to digital literacy, access, and privacy concerns?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The integration of technology in assessment and feedback processes, as evidenced by research such as Gilbert, Whitelock, and Gale (2011), demonstrates a moderate effect on improving student outcomes. Their review highlights that technology-enhanced methods can significantly boost student retention, reduce exam anxiety, and facilitate more effective learning designs that overcome traditional logistical barriers. Furthermore, automated marking shows potential for increased reliability compared to human assessment, and these digital approaches do not appear to disadvantage specific demographic groups.

Project Tips

• Consider how technology can be used to provide more frequent and personalized feedback in your design project.
• Explore digital tools that can help reduce student anxiety or improve accessibility.
• Investigate the potential for automated assessment or feedback mechanisms.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing the benefits of digital assessment tools or feedback mechanisms in your design project.
• Use the findings to justify the integration of technology in your proposed solution for assessment or feedback.

Examiner Tips

• Ensure your design project clearly articulates the user-centred benefits of any technology implemented for assessment or feedback.
• Consider how your design addresses potential equity issues related to technology access.

Independent Variable: ["Use of technology in assessment and feedback"]

Dependent Variable: ["Student retention","Exam anxiety levels","Student performance","Student learning","Inclusion"]

Controlled Variables: ["Demographic characteristics of students (gender, age)","Type of educational institution","Specific assessment methods used"]

Strengths

• Comprehensive review of a broad range of literature.
• Focus on evidence-based findings and practical implications for educators.

Critical Questions

• What are the long-term impacts of relying on automated feedback?
• How can we ensure equitable access to technology for all students undergoing assessment?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could investigate the specific design features of a technology-enhanced assessment platform that best mitigate exam anxiety.
• Further research could explore the comparative reliability and validity of automated versus human marking across different subject disciplines.

Source

Synthesis report on assessment and feedback with technology enhancement · ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) · 2011