The role of professional identity in patterns of use of multiple‐choice assessment tools

Abstract

This article uses the notion of professional identity within the framework of actor network theory to understand didactic practices within three faculties in an institution of higher education. The study is based on a series of interviews with lecturers in each faculty and diaries of their didactic practices. The article focuses on the use of a multiple‐choice assessment tool available on a virtual learning environment and on the lecturers' attitudes towards it. The data suggest that the prevalent epistemic culture in a faculty's community of practice plays a significant role in the choices made by lecturers as far as their actual use of the tool is concerned. The lecturers' professional identity is also a substantial element in shaping their attitude towards the tool.

Keywords:

• professional identity
• communities of practice
• didactic practice
• multiple‐choice assessment
• actor network theory
• virtual learning environments
• higher education

Acknowledgements

This research has been made possible by grants from Norway Opening Universities and Oslo University College.

Notes

1. ‘Bortvalg’ in Norwegian. In this context, the Norwegian word refers to the process of leaving out answers that are obviously unsuitable, and therefore ending up with a smaller set of possible right answers.