User Experience Requirements of Digital Moderation Systems in South Africa: Using Participatory Design Within Design Science Research

Abstract

The digital transformation within the global educational environment led to a transformation in assessment strategies and the increased use of ICTs in assessments. Digitization offers innovative teaching and learning opportunities. But it also introduces new challenges to current quality assurance processes. A narrative literature review revealed a scarcity of empirical evidence on dedicated digital moderation systems and no representation of teachers’ views could be found. The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation into the requirements for a digital moderation (eModeration) system to enhance teachers’ user experience (UX) of moderation practices in the school environment. Design science research (DSR) is the paradigm applied to guide the alignment of the findings from a literature review on eModeration requirements with the findings from a Participatory Design (PD) intervention for eliciting UX requirements for an eModeration system. The context is school teachers in South Africa. The methodological contribution of this paper is the transdisciplinary approach of using DSR to guide both the literature review and the PD interaction towards a synthesis of the requirements and the implementation in a prototype eModeration system. The theoretical contribution is the evidence based UX design requirements of an eModeration system.