Requirements for an eModeration System in Private Schools in South Africa

Abstract

Despite the growing importance of digitization in all aspects of teaching and learning, digital moderation (eModeration) has received little attention in research or practice. Considering the secondary school environment, no evidence-based requirements could be found for the development of a digital moderation system. This finding provides the rationale for this investigation into the requirements for an efficient eModeration system for IT and CAT assessments at grade 12 level in South Africa (SA). This study draws on eModeration literature as well as technology adoption literature to identify a set of pre-adoption eModeration requirements against the background of the challenges and benefits of eModeration. The research design involved a single exploratory case study with IT and CAT moderators as units of analysis. Qualitative data analysis using Atlas.ti V8 was conducted on the 61 responses received from an online survey and 4 responses received from a focus group interview. The findings confirmed the absence of customized eModeration systems. The main contribution is the eModeration requirements identified from literature and then refined by triangulation with the empirical findings of the survey. The research has practical value in guiding the design of eModeration systems for the school environment.