EXAMS
complete independently. For other subjects studied in the MYP (sciences, mathematics, language and literature, humanities and social sciences, and interdisciplinary learning) students complete two-hour onscreen examinations. Different tasks are used to ensure that the IB uses the best tools to test the right skills. For example, a student would write an essay to assess writing skills, or would create an infographic to assess communication skills.
Nadia Abdullah, MYP coordinator and IB English teacher at International Amman Academy in Jordan said: “The school decided to offer the MYP to its students because we felt it would allow our students to develop key learning skills, such as critical thinking, the school wanted to move away from the traditional way of teaching and learning. MYP students are able to develop their own skills; they are independent learners, who think critically and are able to collaborate and communicate effectively in different situations.”
How can assessments remain relevant? Modern technology offers educators a variety of new tools that can be used inside and outside of the classroom. Schools have started introducing several different ways to track and assess students’ performance and can create digital records of students’ development that can be passed from school year to school year. Computers are a huge part of everyday life and it is rare these days that people write by hand for an extended length of time. Students should be offered the best means to express themselves, especially when it comes to the critical examination season, which is why the IB decided to transition to eAssessments.
Technology facilitates every single step of MYP eAssessment delivery, providing examinations that are meaningful, relevant and reliable. The greatest impact of technology, however, is on the content of the examinations themselves. Digital design makes it possible for students to engage with images, visual texts, videos and complex models. Students are able to create, manipulate and make decisions on how to manage data. Onscreen tools support candidates working in a language that might not be their mother tongue. As an international organization, the IB recognizes the
cultural differences across the world, and therefore tailors the examinations to be culturally neutral but contextually relevant.
students across the world taking more than 42,000 onscreen examinations. Recent official recognition by Ofqual has assured schools, parents, students, universities and government bodies across the world that the MYP eAssessment examinations are innovative, fair, reliable and fit for purpose.
The inaugural examination season for the MYP eAssessment concluded last June with over 7,700
“We took part in the pilot of the eAssessment, and we now offer it to our year 5 (aged 16) MYP students. It has been a huge success. We are a ‘bring your own device’ school and our students are already very involved with technology in day to day learning, so they really enjoyed the technical side of the assessment. The interactivity of the questions is probably the students’ favourite element, for example, they can create infographics to answer questions which can be used to assess communication skills” added Abdullah.
Looking to the future
The onscreen assessment has created the foundation on which the IB can build ever more creative and effective student assessments in future years and in other IB programmes. The future of our assessments will continue to contribute more positively to the well-being of students and we believe that the holistic nature of eAssessment is addressing this.
Assessment is a necessary part of the teaching and learning process – benefitting students, parents and teachers alike, by offering each a further insight into a student’s learning style and progression. However, there is so much more to teaching and learning above and beyond preparing students to pass tests. Assessments should reveal the full extent of a child’s potential, not just what they have been able to memorize. In doing so they play their role in the development of young people who are well rounded, with responsible attitudes and offer more than a set of knowledge-based grades.
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www.education-today.co.uk June 2017
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