A few reflections regarding assessment in an e-learning environment

Abstract

E-learning technologies are spread around the whole educational process. Knowledge assessment has become inseparable part of current e-learning technologies. Tutors give students opportunity to check their progress during study but they use assessment tests also for a midterm and final grading. The fact, that knowledge tests are not developed properly was discovered already in the 1950s. But it seems they are still not being developed with an adequate care. Testing items are not designed to reveal the reached level of knowledge-testing suites are very seldom reviewed from the point of view of their validity and items correlation. We believe that current Learning Management Systems (LMS) and their support for an assessment test design and delivering are main source of problems. This paper presents some ideas about required functionality of LMS regarding knowledge testing. Some ideas about grade semantics and misuse of modern communication technologies during assessment are also presented. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media.