the analyst’s corner
Understanding the stakes
Getting to the heart of e-assessment David Perring
In an educational setting it is often at the heart of the learning experience and will be conducted in a number of ways throughout a course of study. In a corporate context too, assessment is important, although the quality and rigour applied to this is often variable. The application of e-assessment is frequently dependent on the perceived importance of the learning being delivered or the value of the investment being made. Over the last few years, we have seen a significant shift in volume of corporate organisations using e-assessment and their willingness to consider including it in the learning mix. So, what is assessment and in particular e-assessment? Assessment is the measurement of knowledge, skills, and behaviours. E-assessment simply involves the introduction of online technologies to support this process.
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So much more than compliance Within many sectors we have seen e-assessment assume increased importance because of a greater focus on regulations and compliance which now pervades the business world. This is especially true within the financial services sector and the pharmaceutical sector. Many industries now demand professional certification and this increasingly involves some form of online assessment in order to
ssessment is something that nearly all learning practitioners are familiar with whether in a corporate or educational setting.
gain a license to operate. And still organisations have the need to
demonstrate that employees have undertaken specific learning and achieved an acceptable level of knowledge and competence, especially when this relates to legislation areas such as health and safety and data protection. But assessments aren’t just about legislative needs. E-assessments also add value by helping organisations to target learning at the right individuals and ensure the learning they deliver is producing the required results. When used really well assessment also helps to energise the learner and learning process offering engagement and motivational triggers (leaderboards) as well as guiding learners to what they need to learn next. In addition many organisations are putting greater investment into how they measure competency/ capability/ proficiency as part of their talent management strategies. What influences what sorts of tools you should use in e-assessments? One of the most important ideas in corporate/organisational assessment is the concept of “stakes” and assessments are typically either “low” or “high” stakes.
Low stakes assessment Low stakes assessments typically have little direct consequence as a result of how someone performs in the assessment itself. For example, during an online induction, a quiz could be embedded in e-learning to check understanding of key product areas and feedback given to correct any misunderstanding.
In reality most organisations muddle through with their e-assessment authoring approach, up until the moment they realise that the risks of having an incorrect question, or an appreciation that if someone cheats, it can have critically negative business impact.
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High stakes assessments High stakes assessments have important consequences. These include having a “license to operate” such as in the aviation industry, through to attaining a professional qualification or certification. For example, passing an externally approved knowledge assessment could impact the ability of an employee to give financial advice. Because the penalties for giving incorrect or unprofessional advice are so large and the negative business impacts could be so damaging, such assessment are high stakes. Companies may acquire specialist assessment tools to manage high stakes beyond learning or talent management systems and authoring tools. In reality most organisations muddle through with their e-assessment authoring approach, up until the moment they realise that the risks of having an incorrect question, or an appreciation that if someone cheats, it can have critically negative business impact. For example, if an assessment fails to reflect the correct torsion of a bolt on an aircraft, because the component changes, and the technician then incorrectly tightens a bolt and an aircraft crashes, that would probably be the point when everyone starts to see the importance of managing high stakes assessments more robustly.
The critical judgement therefore needs to be centred on the operating context of why an assessment is there in the first place. Is it to simply tick a box, or to be certain of a level of expertise or action? Within certain industries, especially finance, airlines, pharmaceutical and professional bodies, there is the real need to guarantee excellence. Learning, performance and assessment go hand
in hand. E-assessments can play a valuable role in the learning process and help organisations and individuals focus their training and development efforts.
David Perring, Director of Research, Fosway Group @DavidPerring
e.learning age september 2015
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