ICT :Scope and Techniques for Evaluation:

 It is well recognized now that the advancement in Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) has greatly changed the teaching-learning process both at school and higher education
level.
 ICT has not only changed the instructional system but the examination and evaluation system is
also being influenced to a great extent.
 In the recent years several innovative initiatives have taken place in the field of examination and
evaluation.
 Online assessment is now very common all over the world. Online examination make the
assessments and evaluation system learner centric as it can be conducted when the candidate is
ready, rather than at the convenience of the system.
 In view of the fact that the learners learn at different paces, there is no reason, other than
administrative convenience, to test them at a certain fixed interval in all courses simultaneously.
 However, now the use of ICT in the field of education has reduced this barrier of administrative
inconvenience in making the examination system more flexible and learner oriented.
 In general, every student should be given a choice of taking exam as per their preparation.
Moreover, at higher education level, particularly in open and distance learning system, a large
number of learners are working or employed.

This comprehensive ICT enabled system of examination has a number of benefits to the students:

 It provides opportunity to the learners to appear in the examination whenever they feel
prepared for examination after completing the minimum eligibility criteria.
 It also helps in reducing the possibility of malpractices the examinations as each student may get
different set of question paper.
 It helps in minimizing the fear of failure in the examination and thus saving the distance learner
from frustration and depression.
 May help in improving the pass percentage of students in the university by giving chance to
really motivated and prepared students to appear in the examination.
 It can improve the reliability of examinations and make evaluation a continuous process,
 It can also reduce the load on the term end examinations of the University.

The ICT brings more rich material in the classrooms and libraries for the teachers and students. It has
provided opportunity for the learner to use maximum senses to get the information. It has broken the
monotony and provided variety in the teaching - learning situation. The ICT being latest, it can be used
both at school and higher education levels in the following areas:

 Teaching
 Diagnostic Testing
 Remedial Teaching
  Evaluation
 Psychological Testing
 Development of Virtual Laboratory
 Online Tutoring
 Development of Reasoning & Thinking
 Instructional Material Development

Following are the main advantages of Computer Based Diagnostic Test.

• They do not require any special setting or arrangement. The only requirement is computer systems
and software.

• The student can use it even from home if made available On school website.

• They do not need any special assistance from teacher. Unlike the paper-pencil test, it does not require
paper setting and paper correction on the part of the teacher.

 It saves time on the part of the teacher and students.

 The feedback is given immediately after the test is over, which gives an intrinsic reinforcement
to the student.
 The student finds it more interesting and motivating as compared to the paper-pencil diagnostic
test.
 It can be updated from time to time.
 It is economical in terms of money as it requires only one time investment.

There are some limitations of Computer Based Diagnostic Testing (CBDT). These are as follows:

 The learner might find it uninteresting or monotonous as compared to paper pencil test.
 The teacher might find CBDT difficult to administer if he/ she is not a computer savvy.
 It faces certain constraints, like, power cut, when it is being administered.
 The learner might not take it seriously as he / she is used to the traditional paper and pencil
tests.
 The development of CBDT is costly and tedious as compared to paper and pencil test.
 The use of CBDT requires many computers which may not be available in all the schools.
 The learners who are not computer friendly might not feel at ease while giving the test on
Computer.
 Certain technical problems might crop up which can distract the learner while giving the test.
 All teachers may not be competent to develop diagnostic test and especially CBDT
 Teacher may not know computer languages that may be used for developing CBDT

USE OF ICT IN REMEDIAL TEACHING

Once the ICT is used for diagnosis purpose, the next step is to organize Remedial Teaching Programme.
The Remedial Teaching can be done by the teacher if some common mistakes are identified. It may not
be feasible to organize Remedial programme for individual students. At this point, the ICT can be used
for giving individual Remedial Programme. It may be Online or off line. The instructional material if
designed specifically for meeting the individual needs of students and uploaded on the School website
and then the ICT can be used for providing Remedial teaching Programme.

Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students
learning. Assessment involves using wide variety of methods and tools to evaluate, measure, and
document the student learning. Assessment basically helps one to improve learning and also set
direction for ongoing teaching and learning process. Activity: View the video on assessment from the
following link.

Types of Assessment

Assessment can be classified in to various types or approaches based on the purpose for which it is
designed. It can be classified as follows:

Formative Assessment: Formative assessment provides feedback and information during the
instructional process, while learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring.

Summative Assessment: Summative assessment takes place after the learning has been completed and
provides information and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process.

Diagnostic Assessment: Diagnostic assessment can help you identify your students' current knowledge
of a subject, their skill sets and capabilities, and to clarify misconceptions before teaching takes place.
Knowing students' strengths and weaknesses can help you better plan what to teach and how to teach
it.

Authentic Assessment: The term authentic assessment describes the multiple forms of assessment that
reflect student learning, achievement, motivation, and attitudes on instructionally relevant classroom
activities. It Emphasizes what students know, rather than what they do not know or requires students to
develop response instead of selecting them from predetermined options. An authentic assessment
usually includes a task for students to perform and a rubric by which their performance on the task will
be evaluated.

Performance Assessment: Performance assessment is one which requires students to demonstrate that
they have mastered specific skills and competencies by performing or producing something.

CURRENT TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT

Traditional multiple-choice tests have come under a great deal of criticism in recent years, but whatever
their flaws, they are a mature technology that offers some distinct advantages. They tend to be reliable,
as noted. Also, in comparison to some other forms of assessments, they do not require a lot of time or
cost a lot of money to administer, and they generate scores that are familiar to educators. It is likely that
multiple-choice tests will continue to be widely used for some time to come, as as evidenced by the fact
that the most of the entrance examinations and board examinations continue to include items of this
type in addition to some new item types.

However the recent trend in assessment initiatives by NCERT and CBSE the reach of assessment is more
expansive and complex, designed to produce a well-educated, well-rounded student, not just one who
could demonstrate discrete literacy and numeracy skills. Thus, for example, they included not just
academic content knowledge, but also outcomes that related to thinking, creativity, problem solving,
and the interpretation of information.

Some of the major features of assessment are:

 Integral to classroom culture

 Oriented toward clear learning goals Incremental and iinteractive
 Providing feedback that is timely and specific
 Focused on the process of learning as much as the outcome
 Using varied methods to deepen learning and meet diverse student needs

ROLE OF ICT IN ASSESSMENT

 Technology has a vital role to play in effective and efficient assessment of learning.
 Modern technology offers educators a variety of new tools that can be used in the classroom.
 Technology can help teachers assess their students’ learning as well as their performance in the
classroom.
 Use of ICT in assessment involves the use of digital devices to assist in the construction, delivery,
storage or reporting of student assessment tasks, responses, grades or feedback.
 ICT based assessment can use a multitude of formats, including text documents or portable
document formats, multimedia formats such as sound, video or images; it can involve complex
simulations or games; it can also be undertaken by students in groups or individually and it can
occur with large numbers of students in a synchronous or asynchronous manner.
 Teachers can use computers to construct their assessment tasks, to deliver these tasks to
relevant students and to record and provide feedback and grades to these students.
 Computers can also be used to analyze students’ responses, both to provide feedback to the
student on the quality and relevance of their response, as well as to provide feedback to the
teacher on whether the task can differentiate between students with different abilities.
 ICT based assessment can be used to test many different capabilities and skills that are
developed by students.
 There are only a few tasks that might not be suitable for completing and recording
electronically, but the number of such tasks is rapidly diminishing as technology becomes more
sophisticated and widespread.
 In many disciplines laboratory equipment can be manipulated remotely and students can
undertake real time physical performances that are able to be recorded and used for
assessment purposes.
  We are quickly approaching the stage where our imaginations will be the limiting factor in
designing e assessment tasks.

Computer Assisted Assessment (CAA): Computer-assisted assessment refers to the use of computers to
assess students learning and performance. Computer-assisted assessment is a term that covers all forms
of assessments, whether summative or formative, delivered with the help of computers. This covers
both assessments delivered on computer, either online or offline, and those that are marked with the
aid of computers, such as those using Optical Mark Reading (OMR).Computer Assisted Assessment is
typically formative, in that it helps students to discover whether they have learned what the educator
intended and provide timely feedback on how best to teach a subiect. Increasingly, it can be summative,
with limited feedback typically being given at the end of a course and serving to grade and categorize
the student's work. It can also be diagnostic, e.g. by testing for pre-knowledge.

Advantages:-

 Computer assisted testing is more likely to be objective testing; testing that can be marked
objectively and thus offer high reliability.
 The benefit is that the tests can be marked quickly and easily, and adapted to meet a wide
range of learning outcomes.

Disadvantages

• It is usually associated with testing knowledge and skills rather than conceptual understanding,
because of the frequent use of multiple choice questions (MCQ) formatting, which is believed to test at a
lower level of understanding when related to Bloom’s Taxonomy;

• Construction of good objective tests requires skill and practice and so is initially time consuming:

• Hardware and software must be carefully monitored to avoid failure during examinations.

 Security issues can be a problem in Web based CAA;

 Students require adequate IT skills and experience of the assessment type.

Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT)

One of the recent advancements in assessment is the design and use of computer-adaptive tests, which
add a great deal of efficiency to the testing process. Depending on the student's responses, the software
will automatically adjust the level of difficulty of the questions it poses (after a number of correct
answers, it will move on to harder items; too many incorrect responses, and it will move back to easier
ones), quickly zeroing in on student's level of mastery of the given material. Further, the technology
makes it a simple matter to include items that test content from previous and subsequent grades, which
allows measurement of a very wide distribution of knowledge and skills (from below grade level to far
above it) that might exist in any given class or testing group.
CAT components: There are five technical components in building a CAT.

1. Calibrated item pool

2. Starting point or entry level

3. Item selection algorithm

4.Scoring procedure

5. Termination criterion

Advantages

 Adaptive tests can provide uniformly precise scores for most test-takers.

• An adaptive test can typically be shortened by 50ff and still maintain a higher level of precision than a
fixed version.

• This translates into a time savings for the test-taker. Test-takers do not waste their time attempting
items that are too hard or trivially easy.

 Like any computer-based test, adaptive tests may show results immediately after testing.

Disadvantages

 the first issue encountered in CAT is the calibration of the item pool.
 Although adaptive tests have exposure control algorithms to prevent overuse of a few items, the
exposure conditioned upon ability is often not controlled.
 In a CAT with a time limit it is impossible for the examinee to accurately budget the time one can
spend on each test item and to determine if he/she is on pace to complete a timed test section.

ASSESSMENT: DIGITAL TOOLS AND OPTIONS

LMS based assessment option: There are a large number of ICT tools and services supporting various
kinds of assessment activities. Some of these are offered as specific modules of learning management
systems (LMS) like Moodle that enable the management of question banks and items together with the
administration and internet-based delivery of tests. The various assessment question types which are
available in LMS like moodle are calculated, description, essay, matching, embedded answers (cloze
test / gap fill), multiple choice, short answer, numerical, true/false, drag and drop, jigsaw, ordering,
multi select, short answer etc.

1) Standalone assessment systems:There are comprehensive assessment management systems

with specific focus on summative and formative assessment, like Rogō. It is the University of
Nottingham e-Assessment management system used to create and deliver online assessments.
This online system supports the full process from question and paper creation (including peer
and external examiner reviews) to the analysis of exam results and creation of reports. It has
support for formative quizzes, summative exams, surveys and several other paper types.
Authentic assessments can be created using any combination of 15 question types together with
 graphics, audio files and video. The question types are area, dichotomous, multiple choice
questions (MCQ), multiple response, extended matching, flash interface, fill-in-the-blank, image
hotspots, labelling, likert scales, ranking, script concordance test (SCT), text boxes, true/false

2)E-Box E-Box is a Technology Enabled Active Learning and Assessment platform. Apart from the basic
LMS components like quizzes, assignments, lesson components, resource components etc, it has
numerous activity components pertaining to technology and engineering concepts that could be used
for design and analysis oriented learning. These components are also used for assessing the design and
analysis skills of candidates, apart from the regular knowledge level testing.

3) HOT POTATOES HOT POTATOES is a set of programs that allows the production of interactive
web-based teaching exercises which can be delivered to any computer. The suite consists of six
individual programs: JCloze, JQuiz, JCross, JMatch, JMix, and the The Mashe. The Hot Potatoes
suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short answer,
jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide
Web. Hot Potatoes is freeware, and you may use it for any purpose or project you like. Since a
quiz is a game or competition in which you answer questions, accordingly, in JQUIZ the learner
must create, in an interactive way, the correct answer. This may happen in four different forms:
multiple-choice, short answers, a combination of the two just mentioned called Hybrid
questions, and multi select questions (where the student needs to choose several correct
answers, among all the options provided). Feedback can be provided for right and wrong
answers, as well as a hint in the form of single letters, which appear one at the time, according
to student’s request. The JQuiz also gives a score which is lowered if several hints letters were
requested.

A cloze test is a test in which words have been removed from a short piece of writing, and students have
to write what they think are the correct words in the empty spaces; in JCLOZE students must do the
same thing but the program provides clues, and encouragement by automatic scoring. Hints in the form
of single letters are provided in case the student needs an extra help.

A crossword puzzle is a game in which you write the answers to questions in a pattern of numbered
boxes. In JCROSS the learners write up the words, by answering written questions or by looking at
pictures and guessing the correct word. If necessary they can ask for hints, in the form of free letters.

A mix is a combination of different items so that the result cannot be easily separated into its parts, and
JMIX produces jumbled-sentences, where the student can choose among several answers. In this case
the hint bottom provides whole words or even segments of the right sentence, if requested.

Two things match when they look the same because they are pairs, so in JMTCH there are two lists
made up of words, or sentences, or pictures, which the student has to match. Also in this program
scoring is available.

THE MASHER is a program that compiles batches of hot potatoes exercises into a whole unit, in a
sequential order, with the same colour and appearance setting; it also helps to set certain convenient
links using the navigation bottons to create an index file for the unit. This is the tool that allows you to
upload the files to hotpotatoes.net, in case of having an account, or if you have registered earlier.
At the Hot Potatoes home page, there is free software available that has limited entries, still it gives a
clear idea of the wide range of possibilities this tool has for ELT. The set with a wider range of entries is
not freeware, but can be used without conditions by members of public or non-profit educational
institutions.

The production can be uploaded into a web page which itself can be uploaded to hotpotatoes.net
(handled by Half Baked Potatoes) from within the hot potatoes program. In this site there are plenty of
examples.

OSCATS: Open Source Computer Adaptive Testing System: The OSCATS library implements Item
Response Theory (IRT) and cognitively diagnostic (latent classification) models and item selection
algorithms used in Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). OSCATS facilitates the development of CATS
and simulations of CATS by providing ready-to-use code for running the CAT item selection and
ability/classification estimation in an extensible, modular framework.

Concerto-platform(R-based Adaptive Testing Platform): Online Adaptive Testing Platform Concerto is a

web based, adaptive testing platform for creating and running rich, dynamic tests. It combines the
flexibility of HTML presentation with the computing power of the R language. It's totally free for
commercial and academic use, and it's open source.

E-Box: E-Box is a Technology Enabled Active Learning and Assessment platform. Apart from the basic
LMS components like quizzes, assignments, lesson components, resource components etc. it has
numerous activity components pertaining to technology and engineering concepts that could be used
for design and analysis oriented learning. These components are also used for assessing the design and
analysis skills of candidates, apart from the regular knowledge level testing.

My exam box: Create your own online exams and share privately for free. Share your quality online
exams publicly. Fine tune your online exams based on user performance, feedback and ratings. Solve
publicly available quality online exams anytime.

Activity: Visit the websites of some of this assessment tools and make a comparative analysis of the
features of these tools and Share this in your blog.

Assessment embedded in authoring tools: Most of the authoring software tools allow teachers to
create, compile, administer and grade electronic tests, including, for example eXelearning, xerte, adapt
and Learner Activity Management System (LAMS). All these four tools are open source authoring tools
and can create many assessment types like cloze, multi select, multi choice, true false, fill in the blanks,
matching, drag and drop etc.

4) E-PORTFOLIO
An electronic portfolio (also known as an e-portfolio, e portfolio, digital portfolio, or online
portfolio) is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the
web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia,
blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user’s abilities and
platforms for self-expression and if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over
time.
 An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of
achievement. Learning records are closely related to the learning. To the extent that a personal
learning environment captures and displays a learning record, it also might be understood to be
an electronic portfolio.

Meaning and Types

What is Portfolio Assessment?

Portfolios are used in many disciplines and although there are numerous definitions in the literature, in
general a portfolio can be described as, "a purposeful compilation and reflection of one's work, efforts
and progress". In addition there are different types of portfolio including assessment, employment,
learning, and teaching portfolios, the format ultimately depending on the purpose for which it is
developed. Portfolios are considered as a learning and assessment tool.

Portfolios are viewed both as reflective tools to document students' academic progress as well as
organized digests of artifacts documenting professional development. Portfolios include artifacts
supporting evidence of personal reflection on and embodiment of outcomes. Other uses of portfolios
include program exit assessment, demonstration of competency, program exit assessment,
demonstration of competency, achievement, and documentation of personal growth and social
development.

Electronic Portfolio- An electronic portfolio (also known as an e-portfolio, digital portfolio, or online
portfolio) is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web.
Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries,
and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-
expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time.

Types of e-portfolio

Developmental Portfolios: Demonstrate the advancement and development of student skills over a
period of time. Developmental portfolios are considered works-in-progress and include both self-
assessment and reflection/feedback elements. The primary purpose is to provide communication
between students and faculty.

Assessment Portfolios: Demonstrate student competence and skill for well-defined areas. These may be
end-of-course or program assessments primarily for evaluating student performance. The primary
purpose is to evaluate student competency as defined by program standards and outcomes

Showcase Portfolios: demonstrate exemplary work and student skills. This type of portfolio is created at
the end of a program to highlight the quality of student work. Students typically show this portfolio to
potential employers to gain employment at the end of a degree program.

Self-reflection is an important component of electronic portfolio development. If you do not require

participants to self-reflect on the artifacts they add to the portfolio, they will not gain from the rich
learning experience that e-portfolio development can provide.

Advantages of e-portfolio
  A well-executed e-portfolio program is a very good tool for higher education.
 It builds learners' personal and academic growth as they complete complex activities.
 It facilitates the integration of learning as students connect learning across courses a
 It helps students plan their own academic pathways as they understand what they know and are
able to do and what they still need to learn.

DIGITAL ASSESSMENT ALTERNATIVES

Several digital assessment alternatives are available for assessing students’ performance. Some of the
Web 2.0 tools available today can serve as alternative assessment tools for student learning. They can
engage students as they reflect share and demonstrate what they have learned or are learning. Some of
the digital assessment alternatives are considered here:

Online Assessment: Online assessment is the process used to measure certain aspects of information
for a set purpose where the assessment is delivered via a computer connected to a network. Most often
the assessment is some type of educational test. With the emergence of read write web and the
development in software as a service (SaaS), it is possible to design and conduct online assessment with
ease. There are many online service providers both free and paid for designing and developing online
tests and quizzes.

• Digital Concept Map: Digital concept maps can be created by using offline tools like VUE, free mind or
can be created using online tools like bubbl.us, or weismap. Concept maps can be used formatively to
make student thinking visible. When students construct and submit their understanding of key concepts
and their linkages through a concept map, it becomes clear whether the students understand the
conceptual framework around a topic of study. Concept maps also provide immediate visual data to
faculty on student misconceptions and their level of understanding.

Online Forum: Forum is an asynchronous communication tool. There are many standalone forum tools
like vanilla or php bb. Forum or discussion board is also an integrated feature of all the learner
management system. This can be used in many ways as an assessment tool. Learners could be asked to
brainstorm on a topic by posting their ideas in a forum. There can be question answer forum where
every learner needs to post their answer in order to see the other learners’ response to the question.
Teacher can create many topic specific discussion forums and this could be used to evaluate learners’
level of understanding and misconceptions if any.

Survey Tools: There are many online survey tools like survey monkey, poll daddy or lime survey. These
tools can be used as an assessment tool and also to collect feedback from learners. In situations where
you may have a bipolar set of opinions, it is helpful to surface that in a non-threatening way.
Anonymous online polls can be used to gather and demonstrate the two sides without revealing
individual attitudes. A survey can be useful for measuring the entire class's grasp of course concepts,
since survey answers are aggregated. Because of their anonymous and aggregated nature, surveys may
also be particularly handy for course evaluation.
• Wikis:A wiki is a website that allows users to collaboratively edit and create content. The most
prominent example of a wiki is Wikipedia, a collaboratively created online encyclopedia. Wikis have
become very popular environments for collaborative projects in formal education and training. The
learners' contribution in wiki can be assessed by the teachers. This can also be a tool for self and peer
assessment.

• Blogs: In general, the learning journal is a way of documenting learning and collecting information for
self analysis and reflection. Learning journals help students

Reflect on how they learn best. Learning journals also help. Students reflect on their knowledge, skills
and behaviours as they learn. Journals are used to:

Improve writing by helping students to practice and refine writing knowledge, skills and behaviours
accumulated over time

 Define personal learning goals as students can reflect and plan for future learning and progress
 record experiences so students can reflect on experiences to develop critical thinking, a
questioning attitude, and creative and emotive responses
 provide a representation of understanding for students To connect the experience to the
learning
 Online, blogs provide a convenient tool for journaling.