Where’s the transformation? Unlocking the potential of technology-enhanced assessment

Trudy Sweeney; Deborah West; Anthea Groessler; Aeron Haynie; Bettie Matheson Higgs; Janet Macaulay; Lucy Mercer-Mapstone; Michelle Yeo

doi:10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.1.5

Authors

Trudy Sweeney Flinders University
Deborah West Charles Darwin University
Anthea Groessler University of Queensland
Aeron Haynie University of New Mexico
Bettie Matheson Higgs University College Cork
Janet Macaulay Monash University
Lucy Mercer-Mapstone University of Queensland
Michelle Yeo Mount Royal University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.1.5

Keywords:

assessment, technology, learning, enhanced, transformed

Abstract

This study provides insight into technology-enhanced assessment (TEA) in diverse higher education contexts. The effectiveness of using technology for assessment in higher education is still equivocal, particularly in regard to evidence of improvements in student learning. This empirical research explores the affordances that technology offers to assessment for transforming student learning. A systematic literature review, guided by an analytic survey tool, was used to identify and interrogate recent scholarly articles published in 19 international journals. From a total of 1713 articles, 139 articles were identified as being focused on the use of technology for assessment. The analytic tool guided the rigorous exploration of the literature regarding the types of technology being used, the educational goal, the type of assessment, and the degree of “transformation” afforded by the technology. Results showed that, in the sample investigated, TEA is used most frequently for formative peer learning, as part of the task design and feedback stages of the assessment cycle, and that social media has been a major affordance for this. Results are discussed with a view to fostering a future culture of inquiry and scholarship around TEA in higher education.

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Author Biographies

Trudy Sweeney, Flinders University

Trudy Sweeney is Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Senior Lecturer of Digital Media at Flinders University, Australia.

Deborah West, Charles Darwin University

Deborah West is Director of Learning and Teaching and Professor at Charles Darwin University, Australia.

Anthea Groessler, University of Queensland

Anthea Groessler is a Learning Designer with the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation at The University of Queensland, Australia.

Aeron Haynie, University of New Mexico

Aeron Haynie is Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of English at the University of New Mexico, USA.

Bettie Matheson Higgs, University College Cork

Bettie Higgs is Senior Fellow, Teaching and Learning, at University College Cork, and formerly Vice-President for Teaching and Learning; she is currently a Vice-President of ISSOTL.

Janet Macaulay, Monash University

Janet Macaulay is Professor of Biomedical Education and Director of Education in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Australia.

Lucy Mercer-Mapstone, University of Queensland

Lucy Mercer-Mapstone is a PhD Candidate at the Sustainable Minerals Institute and a Research Assistant at the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation at The University of Queensland, Australia.

Michelle Yeo, Mount Royal University

Michelle Yeo is Associate Professor and Faculty Development Consultant in the Academic Development Centre at Mount Royal University, Canada.

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