Teaching and Digital Technologies Big Issues and Critical Questions

Introduction

For most of us, when we start as a student in a new course or class, the most important information we want to know is on what we will be assessed and how this will be achieved. This interest in assessment starts from a relatively young age, with concerns about ‘what is in the test’. Most teachers, when planning for a new course or class, start by thinking about what they are required, or want, to assess, and how they will go about doing that. It could be argued that assessment drives pedagogy and the curriculum of schooling. Therefore, if schooling is to meet the needs of students (by engaging them) and meet the needs of the community of today and the future (by being relevant), then assessment practices should align with the curriculum to meet these needs. This chapter addresses this concern by initially discussing the nature of assessment and alignment with the curriculum, with particular reference to the problems concerning validity and reliability of assessments. This is followed by a discussion of the ways in which digital technologies could be used to address these problems. Finally, a range of digital forms of assessment is presented, along with a discussion of the potential of learning analytics and tips for getting started with e-assessment.