How can technology support faculty members in assessment?

Technology cannot be discounted when it comes to student assessment. Many educators may need more preparation for it, but this is the challenge that we must face squarely. Teacher training will play a big role in ensuring that technology is maximized in student assessment. Also, technology must be used to analyze student assessment results in order to support data-driven decision-making and policy development.

Let's push our youngsters to use Chat GPT and other AI tools as Examiners to challenge themselves to write better and new versions of responses. Something like winning over the AI. It's a new challenge for all of us Faculty members to release restrictions from the brains of our young learners to present conventional answers to the questions. Let them generate their idea and just pen it down on a piece of paper. Let Chat GPT learn from there. Each moment of assessment should be a stage to upgrade knowledge level in a specific domain of expertise.

Technology benefits the faculty as well in not only streamlining assessment, but also allowing the realtime analysis of data to drive instructional practices and provide immediate feedback on what skills still require mastery or need reteaching. It reduces costs of paper, but it also provides multiple platforms to differentiate to different learning styles and enhance the learning process. When used appropriately and intentionally, technology is a very useful tool.

Talking of analytics, technology can seamlessly allow you to diagnose items, topics, or skills that students need more work on. Depending on the type of technology being used, one can assign self-scoring quizzes or even set an assessment to allow for several attempts while varying test items. Some platforms provide prompts for where to content needed to answer the question if the assessment is based on an accompanying digital textbook.

Employing technology for assessments expands the scope, offering nuanced measures of understanding. For instance, I've utilized digital platforms that support a range of multimedia to present assessments in more interactive and contextually rich formats. Students could create digital presentations, animations, or infographics to demonstrate understanding— a far cry from the conventional pen-and-paper tests. Moreover, technology provides opportunities for peer and self-assessment. I've found that tools that facilitate anonymous peer feedback can embolden students to provide honest critique, fostering a learning community

The Faculty using technology for assessment experience some problems and challenges too. These challenges include the technical issues, and glitches that disrupt the assessment process. Further, the need for additional time and time and resources for training and preparation. Also ethical and legal concerns related to privacy, security and data ownership and diminishing the role of faculty members.

Firstly, technology literacy is a significant bottleneck. While some educators swiftly adapt to new technologies, others struggle. Therefore, a robust professional development program is essential to support teachers transitioning to technology-based assessment. Secondly, accessibility and equity should not be overlooked. Not all students have the same access to technology, so it's critical to ensure new methods don't disadvantage any students. Regarding academic integrity, systems like plagiarism checkers, secure browsers, and proctoring software are available but they aren't foolproof. An ethical learning environment and blending these measures with traditional methods like honor pledges or individual follow-up assignments help.

Learning to use assessment technology correctly can be like learning to drive. Yes, it takes some hardware, and the time commitment to learn the skill can be daunting. The outcome of that investment far outweighs the limitations of the old ways. There are secure assessment programs that ensure reliability and validity. There are automated quiz generators for quick exit tickets. From a student perspective, a large majority of young learners are digital natives for whom a digital exam is more natural to interact with, and will allow for a more accurate portrayal of their knowledge and skills.

One that i experienced was the honesty factor. Technology can assist dishonesty. Unfortunate that technology is manulipulated to the worst but some would commit for the sake of success.

Learning Management Systems(LMS), such as Canvas and Moodle, provide a centralized location for delivering, collecting, and tracking assessments, with features like automatic grading for multiple-choice questions and plagiarism checkers. Interactive platforms like Kahoot and Quizziz make assessments fun and engaging, thus, increasing student participation and reinforcing learning. Data-driven tools like Turnitin not only check for plagiarism but also offer insights into students' learning trends and their approach towards referencing and quotation. Using platforms like Seesaw or Google Sites, where students can chronologically showcase their work and reflect on their learning process, provides a comprehensive view of their progress.

Absolutely, it's paramount for educators to closely align technology with the intended learning outcomes of assessments. While technology offers valuable tools and strategies for assessment, it's not a magic solution. Careful consideration of how technology serves the principles and purposes of assessment is crucial. It should be thoughtfully integrated into the broader teaching and learning context, including curriculum, instruction, and feedback processes. Moreover, teachers must be attentive to the specific needs and preferences of both students and faculty members when incorporating technology into assessments. This ensures that technology serves as an effective support system in achieving the desired educational goals.

Digital natives, like the majority of our learners, will respond better to immediate feedback. Products like Google forms, Quizziz, and Kahoot can provide fast, formative assessments. Integration with the most popular LMS is increasingly standardized, which also cuts down on the time a teacher has to take for grading. Newer AI products, like MagicSchool, SchoolAI, and Merlyn Mind have the ability to create and differentiate assessments based on your criteria, which will reduce teacher prep time as well. Any reduction in the workload of a teacher, while maintaining the quality of the output, is a worthy endeavor.

Most educators are not data scientists and therefore lack the confidence to develop learning outcomes out of the assessment of and assessment for learning. They know they need to assess student learning but how often does the time spent on assessment improve learning outcomes or is is purely a matter of time under tension This is where AI holds great power for educators and leaders. To step in and provide the data analytics behind teacher based assessments in order to provided assessment for learning at scale and through a personalised approach for students.

Using Kahoot! to gamify learning while closely monitoring student progress and knowledge has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It's a testament to the power of educational technology-infused assessment. I recall an instance where a Kahoot! quiz aligned with learning objectives. As students eagerly engaged with the game, I witnessed their knowledge and confidence grow with each question, almost like a transformation in real-time. What made it even more special was the immediate data and insights Kahoot! provided, allowing me to tailor instruction precisely to their needs. This fusion of fun and learning is a moment worth celebrating, highlighting the tremendous potential of educational technology in shaping the future of education.

For a flipped or virtual classroom, teacher creativity for the integrated tools at their disposal is essential. Flipgrid can be used for video examinations when verbal responses are required. When used in conjunction with a student paced Kahoot or Quizziz, a teacher can watch their student take the quiz and hear their reactions and responses. Tack on LMS and SIS integration and their grade automatically gets calculated and added to the teachers grade book.