Digital Forms of Assessment: Aligning with Pedagogic and Curriculum Intentions

Increasingly in the world fewer work tasks are done using paper and pen and yet most high-stakes assessment in schools continues to use this primitive technology. In the past it has been considered too difficult to reliably and manageably assess large cohorts of students using approaches more valid than using paper. The range of maturing digital technologies for handling multimedia now provides opportunities to address this discrepancy. This paper reports on a three-year project investigating the use of digital technologies to represent student work for high-stakes summative assessment in four senior secondary courses. The project used a range of digital devices, online and offline technologies, and database portfolio systems linked to online marking tools. In addition the comparative pairs method of marking was compared with an analytical standardsreferenced method. The project involved 82 teachers and their senior secondary classes.