Examonline: e-enabling “traditional” HE/FE examinations

Abstract

The authors of the present paper describe ExamOnline, a system specifically developed to e-enable summative essay style examinations delivered in a Higher and Further Education setting. They also discuss the results of two live pilots, undertaken with the same group of students but with two different versions of the system. The system has been specifically designed to support existing examination processes, such as clerical level document-based authoring and distributed assessment by multiple markers. From an educational perspective, the aims are to provide a better and more relevant examination experience for increasingly computer literate student cohorts and to support effective blind marking of on-screen student responses. The authors also seek operational efficiencies in terms of paper-free streamlined administration and marking. The results of two live pilots indicate that the system achieves the objectives in terms of both the student experience and staff perception of fairness in assessment.