Accessibility in e-Assessment
Many organisations using traditional paper based assessments have a well developed methodology for ensuring the accessibility of their assessments, including measures such as readers, scribes, large print copies of scripts, tactile diagrams, etc, which are principally applied by centres and assessors after assessment development. The rise in the use of e-assessment is altering the normal practices of assessment, examples being:
- tests delivered ‘on demand’ rather than to large pre-planned cohorts
- tests generated ‘on-delivery’ from item banks
- automated marking with instant or near-instant feedback on results to candidates
- multimedia tests incorporating audio, video, colour and complex user interactions.
The capabilities of computer based delivery offer the opportunity for an enriched, engaging and more valid testing experience than paper based tests (with validity improving due to the use of more authentic items and being able to assess a broader range of skills and knowledge). Also, tests which use more than one form of communication to convey meaning are potentially more accessible to candidates than paper or practical tests. However whilst the changes introduced by e-assessment described above place pressures on existing regulation and practice, they also place pressure on accepted practices of post-development measures of accessibility. In particular there is a need to address accessibility up-front, during the authoring process and for authors to have a full understanding of technical measures taken to promote accessibility. For example, with on-screen delivery, visually impaired candidates can elect to use screen reader software rather than using the services of a human reader. e-Assessment authors must be aware of this and their authoring activity must include all material such as the ‘alt tags’ assigned to images that a screen reader will convert into audio.
AlphaPlus staff worked with the e-Assessment Group (comprising representatives from Edexcel, AQA, City and Guilds, OCR, FAB, QCA, SSAT, LSC, DfES, Becta and JISC) to develop guidelines on how to develop e-assessment authoring processes that maximise accessibility whilst minimising authoring costs. We routinely use this expertise in developing authoring processes for our customers.
See also : AlphaPlus White Papers
