Testing Times: Traditional Examination and Asynchronous Learning

Abstract

Because assessment reflects course pedagogy, aims, objectives but also broader institutional and cultural expectations, traditional examination still has a role in the new media of asynchronous, distance learning. This paper recounts experiences of incorporating such examination within an Internet-delivered, GIScience programme, outlining some logistical and learning limitations of doing so. A pedagogical dualism for or against traditional examination is argued to be narrow and unnecessarily restrictive; focus is instead given to modifying traditional assessment to meet learning needs. A hybrid of seen and unseen examination is discussed. Feedback from students suggests the approach is welcome but unequal access to learning resources is a problem.

Keywords:

• Asynchronous learning
• distance learning
• examination
• GIScience

Acknowledgements

This paper was written whilst working at the School of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London. The author is indebted to the students of GIScOnline for the support, encouragement and perceptive feedback they have offered to course tutors over the years and for agreeing to have their views quoted here. Particular thanks are due to: Professor David Unwin, formerly course director of GIScOnline, for offering comments on a draft of this paper; to Melanie Roy, Distance Learning Officer of GIScOnline for originally suggesting the hybrid examination model; and to the referees of an earlier version of this paper for some helpful and insightful comments. The author is, however, writing in a personal capacity. All opinions (except where stated) and any errors of interpretation are the author's alone.

Notes

1 For further details see http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/external_programme/quality.shtml.

2 Internal college documents.

3 The External Programme also offers undergraduate course that are assessed by traditional examination (see: http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/faqs/) and short courses that need not be.