A cross-institutional initiative in digital assessment

This paper focuses on a cross institutional initiative between Swinburne Online (SOL) and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT), prototyping eight assessment types specifically designed for fully online undergraduate degrees, delivered by SOL, across a range of disciplines. This paper will report on the impact of a systematic project as a way to nurture innovation and good practice that will contribute to enhanced practice with digital assessment across both institutions. The digital assessments trialled in this initiative involve adaptive quizzes, group work, presentations, portfolio, role play, reflection and authentic alternatives to traditional formats such as an essay or report. The development of the assessments provide an opportunity for both SOL Program Directors and Learning Designers and SUT academics to discuss what is involved in creating assessments for the online environment. Digital assessment provides students with a range of options for aligning the learning activities to support demonstration of learning. Technology is capable of supporting the management and administrative processes associated with assessment and facilitate the dissemination of feedback rapidly and in a more timely way to all students in online environments. This institutional initiative will involve surveying approximately 2,500 students who will complete the assessments, and will include surveys and interviews with SUT academics, SOL Program Directors and Learning Designers involved in developing and implementing the online assessments. The data gathered will be used not only to evaluate the students' response to the digital assessments but develop an understanding of how effective the project was in cultivating innovation and good practice at an institutional level.