Central government strategy needed to develop technology for testing pupils concludes Examination Officers’ Association national conferences 2009

A call for central government to draw up a coherent strategy to develop the technology for On-Screen testing for pupils was made at the Examination Officers’ Association (EOA) national conferences 2009.

The EOA Conferences concluded that it was inevitable that there would be a move towards On-Screen testing for pupils at all levels, since it is rare, other than in an exam situation, for pupils to be asked to write, by hand, for long periods of time. The modern way of life incorporates technology into all aspects of life and to expect hand-written exams to continue is unrealistic. But the major concern from exam office personnel attending the conferences was that schools, colleges and the exam centres based within them, are not yet ready to cope with a significant increase in on-screen testing.

Sue Kirkham, Education Policy Specialist for the NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers) spoke at the conferences and commented: “There are many issues facing exam centres as they address on-screen testing. There is inadequate funding for developing the technology further; there are too many exams already; most schools do not have the capability in terms of technical support and skills but most importantly there is no central strategy from the government to develop a cohesive plan – the Awarding Bodies are likely to be the ones picking up the costs of developing a plan and they will pass these costs on to schools.”

A discussion amongst attendees at the conferences, which ran in three locations across the UK at the start of July, questioned how any new technology based testing system would be set up and run in schools and colleges. Exam office personnel would need extensive training to accommodate the numbers, many more computers would need to be available specifically for the exam period and an army of technicians would be needed to support the technology during the stressful exam season.

The conferences were attended by exam office personnel from across the

UK ranging from small secondary schools to very large FE colleges. The discussions concluded that a change to on-screen testing was inevitable since the modern world is driving these changes, but the concerns expressed related to a lack of centralised direction which would lead to a complex piecemeal implementation and a lack of funding to ensure a smooth introductory process.

Andrew Harland, Chief Executive of the EOA commented: “Exam office personnel are already taking huge responsibilities in managing and running the complex exam system that we currently have in place. It is inevitable that On-Screen testing will come to schools and colleges in a much bigger way than today eventually. Now is the time for central government to take a strong lead and create a strategy that will allow the development of a new system for exams using the technology of today and tomorrow. The EOA and it’s members want to be proactive in putting forward their views as well as helping to deliver any new system, so that we can ensure all needs are met in the future.”