Cambridge research on digital assessment

At the 24 November seminar, assessment researchers at Cambridge University Press & Assessment showcased three areas of research to illustrate how research is providing vital evidence for the organisation's innovative use of technology in assessment. 

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is pursuing two goals in digital assessment; migrating existing paper assessments online and developing born digital assessments which match teaching and learning and have potential to go beyond the limits of paper exams. 

Introducing the Assessment Network event, Juliet Wilson, Cambridge International's Director of Assessment and Customer Support, set out the approach for Cambridge's digital assessment of 'high stakes' qualifications, such as GCSEs, Cambridge IGCSEs, and UK and International A Levels: "Digital has to be the servant to the assessment. And the assessment can't stand alone." She explained the bigger challenge: "Can we be ground breaking, go beyond 'lifting and shifting' paper assessments on-screen, and see if digital can assess new things?"

Evidence-based decisions

Sarah Hughes, who leads the organisation's research into digital assessment, confirmed the growing number of digital mock exam trials being undertaken by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, based on migrating paper assessments on-screen. She commented: "We've got lots of experience of migrating assessments. We did over 1,500 digital mock tests in 2022, and we'll be doing more next year. We hope schools will sign up to take part in these tests." 

Research into born digital assessment at Cambridge is driven by the desire to match effective teaching and learning, use learners' digital literacy, and to assess knowledge, understanding and skills authentically. Three assessment researchers - who form part of the largest team of its kind in Europe - showcased their latest research to the seminar audience. Sylvia Vitello, Vicki Crisp and Martin Johnson explained the robust frameworks they've developed to ensure high quality and transformative assessments, in three areas: 

• Skills - identifying research skills to be assessed in History (based on reviewing the academic literature, and analysis of post-16 qualifications from A Levels to EPQs) by Sylvia Vitello 
• Validity - building validity into digital assessments from the start (based on applying the Cambridge approach on validity to digital assessments) by Vicki Crisp  
• Impact - understanding the impact of digital assessments on students and teachers in the classroom (based on the introduction of computer-based tests in schools) by Martin Johnson 

Developing new products

Academic research is a key piece of evidence contributing to design decision on digital assessments. Ed Sutton, Digital Product Manager, confirmed the collaborative and agile approach developers were taking. "This research has been so important, alongside other evidence such as user experience (UX) research, to inform the design of our digital assessments," he said. "It gives us parameters for our work; it challenges our assumptions. The research on validity also prevents us making some basic errors."

"We had a hunch that the skills to be assessed in History were not always linear and that some weren't being assessed in an authentic way." He described how digital assessment had the potential to capture more input from a History student, such as their notes on source material or their preparation towards a final project. 

Ed continued: "The starting point for us is always the user's perspective. Now with Martin's research on measuring the impact of digital assessments in the classroom, we will be able to build on feedback with more confidence."

Brief history of digital assessment  

Our UK exam board OCR, which has run on-screen tests for some vocational qualifications for over five years, conducted trials of digital Computer Science mock exams earlier this year. Cambridge International conducted trials in subjects such as History in a wide range of countries. Cambridge Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) runs adaptive assessments that are personalised to individual students while Cambridge English continues to innovate digitally with developments in 2022 such as the launch of online IELTS tests giving test takers the option to take a secure test at home. 

For further information on the research programme on digital assessment, see the dedicated Assessment Research and Network section of our website. There will be more announcements about digital assessment trials in January 2023, with an opportunity for schools to participate.