Helen Sian Ashton

Investigating the medium effect in computer‐aided assessment of school Chemistry and college Computing national examinations

This article presents results of a comparison between paper and computer tests of ability in Chemistry and Computing. A statistical model is employed to analyse the experimental data from almost 200 candidates. It is shown that there is no medium effect when specific traditional paper examinations in Chemistry and Computing are transferred into electronic format. The effect of rewording for computer-delivered test questions is also investigated and again the conclusion is that no evidence of a difference could be found. These results were obtained as part of the Project for Assessments in Scotland using Information Technology (PASS-IT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of Online Assessment to Enhance Teaching and Learning: the PASS-IT Project

This article describes a recent collaborative project (PASS-IT) which investigated the use of online assessment in secondary and further education in Scotland. The aim of PASS-IT was to explore the potential of formative and summative assessment in secondary education, and to build on previous research into the applicability and validity of online assessments. An overview of the project is given. Examples of online questions are provided in section 2 with a discussion of some of the issues and benefits. Section 3 outlines the main research findings of the project, which provide evidence for the validity of online assessments.