| Pune,
India, 9 March 2010 - “Examinations and the Role of
Technology: Emerging Directions” , an initiative by MeritTrac, a research
report published by EDGE-ValueNotes, gives a big thumbs up for technology in exams
from both students and universities
- Comprehensive survey covering
over 75 university VCs/Registrars/Controllers of Examination (CoE) and 400-odd
students across the country
- 77% of all VCs/Registrars/CoEs indicated
that they are considering introducing online examinations, and 68% of these respondents
indicated that they would do this in the next 6-36 months.
- 69%
of all students, particularly those from Tier III cities, felt that universities
that conduct online exams were more technically advanced
The problems
faced by students in completing the entrance test for the Indian Institutes of
Management, also known as the Common Admission Test (CAT), in 2009 brought the
issue of online exams into focus. Amidst all the brouhaha surrounding this particular
instance, the earlier successful attempts by other institutes were overlooked.
The fact that technology is the way forward, in education as well, is not contested,
yet it was difficult for sceptics to look beyond CAT-2009 that faced problems.
We set out to examine and record the opinions of the stakeholders in the higher
education segment, comprising exam authorities and students.
India’s
first-ever comprehensive research report to understand the future of examinations,
the EDGE-ValueNotes report titled 'Examinations and the Role of Technology: Emerging
Directions', endeavors to look at the issues associated with traditional paper-pencil
examinations and the potential benefits of leveraging technology to deliver such
exams. The report provides insights into the awareness, perception, readiness
and experience of key stakeholders in Indian higher education with respect to
technology solutions to assessment, primarily online examinations. The study was
based on an exhaustive, countrywide survey of more than 75 key decision makers
including vice chancellors, exam controllers, university registrars, academic
experts, etc.
“It was heartening to note that decision makers are
not only aware of the benefits of using technology for assessments, but they have
also indicated positive intent with regards to implementation of online assessment,”
says Dr Arun Nigavekar, Former Chairman, UGC and member MeritTrac Education Advisory
Panel.
The study also included a student perception survey – covering
400 students across several Tier I, II & III cities - to understand how students
felt about online exams. The survey indicated that students too were positively
inclined towards online examinations, despite concerns being raised by skeptics
on their behalf. Interestingly, the supposedly less technology-enabled students
in the Tier III cities were the most positive about such exams.
“Despite
the recent issues in online testing, universities still believe in the positive
impact of technology, though they are more concerned about the implementation.
Considering there is still a lot of groundwork to be done, the penetration of
online exams will increase by 5 -10% in the next two years. However, given the
greater levels of experimentation and innovation in the assessment space, we believe
that there will be significant traction over the next three to five years,”
feels Arun Jethmalani, Managing Director, ValueNotes.
Some interesting
insights from the survey of university officials are:
- 52% of
all VCs/Registrars/COEs interviewed indicated that they were interested in the
concept of using technology in exams, 15% were in the experimentation stage and
15% had already begun.
- 77% of all VCs/Registrars/COEs indicated that they
were considering introducing online examinations and 68% of these respondents
indicated that they would do this in the next 6-36 months.
- Decision makers
largely believed that technology solutions could mitigate some of the immense
challenges we faced, and the level of awareness on the potential of technology
was quite high.
- The top three priorities in exam management were faster
results, greater transparency, and student authentication/higher security. Respondents
said these would have the most impact on their decision to go online.
- Infrastructure,
suitability of the test format and equating between multiple-batches of exams
emerged as the top three perceived challenges with almost 60% of the respondents
referring to them.
- Some respondents were also worried about students from
rural areas, who may not have access to computers at all, and may face difficulty
in adopting this.
On the perceptions of the students: - An
overwhelming majority of students (95%) were aware of online assessments, and
this was consistent even in Tier III cities.
- The majority of students
(69%) felt that universities that conduct online exams were more technically advanced
– especially students originating from Tier III cities.
- Majority
of students considered the online process to be more accurate and secure, compared
to traditional methods.
- Transparency of processes and convenience were
the main perceived benefits, though students were concerned about the difficulty
of usage of online exams, and lack of support from exam authorities.
“This
report will help catalyze the change that is needed in examination processes.
At MeritTrac, we have always strived to bring scalable technology for examinations
and this will help us address the key concerns in a structured manner,” says
Madan Padaki, CEO of MeritTrac. This report is an initiative by MeritTrac, in
association with Excelsoft.
About ValueNotes ValueNotes
is a leading provider of business intelligence and research, with expertise across
industries, particularly in financial services, media, engineering, healthcare,
IT and the outsourcing industry. We have built strong capabilities in the collection,
interpretation and analysis of data - both qualitative and quantitative. The
ValueNotes Sourcing Practice is one of the largest information providers on the
outsourcing industry. The Practice uses a comprehensive, analytical framework
providing fresh insights into the fast emerging and yet, complex outsourcing space.
We extensively track the space through regular analysis of news and events, continuous
primary research and contact with the industry. Additional information is available
at www.SourcingNotes.com ValueNotes
Database Private Limited
1 Bhubaneshwar Society, Abhimanshree Road, Pashan,
Pune 411 008
Contact: Nandita Harendra | Tel: +91 20 6623 1796 | Email: nandita@valuenotes.com About
MeritTrac MeritTrac is India's largest testing and skills assessment
company, which provides innovative examination process and assessment solutions
to educational institutions, government / PSU sector and leading corporate entities.
The company is the first firm from India to be admitted as a full-member of the
Association of Test Publishers (ATP), US - one of the prestigious associations
of test publishing companies. MeritTrac is an investee company of Manipal Education.
Additional information is available at http://www.merittrac.com/ |
