ICT and Assessment of Learning

Assessment is very important in student learning. There are many approaches to assessment in learning
with an emphasis on the process of learning along with the product of learning. The ultimate measure of
student’s competence is performance. Development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
has thrown open numerous possibilities for assessing student learning and providing immediate feedback.

Types of Assessment

1. Formative Assessment – provides feedback and information during the instructional process, while
learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring.
2. Summative Assessment – takes place after learning has been completed and provides information
and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process.
3. 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.
4. Authentic Assessment – describes the multiple forms of assessment that reflect student learning,
achievement, motivation, and attitudes on instructionally relevant classroom activities.

The Role of ICT in Assessment in Learning

There are new technologies created to provide students with higher level thinking skills,
particularly the aspects of creative and critical thinking, and the opportunity to teach and assess
those skills. The use of ICT in assessment is very helpful to teachers because students’
information and results of examination can be recorded and stored and can easily be retrieved.
With the use of ICT, the teachers can right away give feedback to students on the results of
assessment. Feedback from the computer during the use of test material improves student
performance in later use of the same test material.
In educational assessment, the use of technology as an innovation and support for
teaching and learning (Sindhu,2013) is essential to improve instruction and increase performance.
With an effective classroom assessment system in place, a valid demonstration of student learning
and progress connected to classroom instruction and experience can be confirmed.
Tests play a vital role in traditional learning as well as e- learning and this helps the
teachers and the learners in measuring learning. There are many freeware where the teachers can
create quizzes and evaluate learning electronically. Online examination systems seek to efficiently
evaluate the test takers thoroughly through a fully automated system that not only saves time but
also give fast results. It is done in most cases though web – based Online Examination Software.
This online examination will also eliminate the need for monitoring while the exam is being taken.

One of the advantages of being a web – based exam software or an online examination
system is that it gives high level of transparency as opposed to the traditional method or remote
method. It is almost impossible to compromise exam questions and evaluations because they
cannot also be influenced. Most online exams generate their results instantly and it is often
possible for the exam taker to get information on his results immediately. Some of the major
advantages of online examination are
1) accessibility and flexibility
2) time management
3) save cost
4) statistical analysis.
Security and confidentiality should also be considered. Security needs to be given top
priority for any website that you will ask information to. Some schools utilized software for security
and privacy of examinations.