The Exam House — June 24, 2020

Exam Podcast Matt Wingfield discusses assessment when ready and the future of exams

The exam podcast was thrilled to have Matt Wingfield, chair of E assessment association on the Exam Podcast this morning.

Matt Wingfield podcast

The conversation was focussed on the revolution that e assessments and exams can bring to exams, especially at secondary school. Matt discussed how E assessment can bring opportunity and choice to exam candidates. While empowering teachers allowing candidates to have greater ownership of their decision to sit an exam at their time of choosing. While improving Access Arrangements.

Here are the notes from the Exam Podcast:

Matt believes that assessments and exams should have an element of ongoing performance. Rather than sum end of year exams.

The shame of how the current system has evolved as it is that it has moved away from a hybrid model/ Coursework & exams and more into a straight up exam at the end of the year. Note: The Exam House disagrees with Matt on this part. However, we do agree with Matt that E assessment is an excellent tool to improve the ownership of exams by candidates. Ie. it is not done to a candidate. Rather than candidate chooses to do it.

Accessing exams is a big part of education. The reliance on the paper and pen model has its input inflexibility. Including labour intensive to candidate when ready. Whether recall or skills based , E assessment provides the flexibility that we need now we are in the new world of a pandemic.

In Wales, the school system they are using e assessment to provide formative guidance to teachers and candidates throughout the learning. Currently, a student who has gone through this e assessment then has to get put in front of a paper based GCSE at the end. Slight madness!

The irony of being supportive of e learning is undermined by the paper based exam.

Unlocking the ‘assessment when ready’ model can unlock - Technology can take the strain. Not replacing the teacher, the new technology can reduce work load while allowing teachers to move up the teaching value chain. Improving student experience. Not forgetting the pedagogy is still driving the learning model.

The technology of ‘Assessment when ready’ would have mitigated the Covid 19 affect on schools.

We would not have to running up to a short summer window. Unlike with paper based it has been almost impossible to pivot.

If we look at the apprenticeship world along with professional qualifications. They have dealt with Covid because of their deeper use of e assessments.

Here in the UK we have not changed our assessment since the 19th century. Lots of reasons now to change into a carrot rather than a stick. E assessment is a big part of this.

The Asian education market have more experience with pandemic. They have e assessment as an anti pandemic tool.

The Egyptian project. They shifted the assessment model quite successfully

See slide 1 here:

https://e-assessment-question.com/i

We hope to hear more from Matt over the coming months. We hope you enjoy the podcast