Framework for the Quality Assurance of e-Assessment

The framework was designed in line with the ESG so as to support higher education institutions in the implementation, use and continuous development of e-assessment procedures and to assist QA agencies in the review and evaluation of e-assessment at all higher education institutions.

Assessment is a key aspect of the teaching and learning process in both online and blended environments. The methods used for assessment are of prime pedagogical importance as they have a direct bearing on both teaching and learning provision and the learner’s experience. They need to be planned and aligned with the intended learning outcomes of programmes and integrated into the quality assurance procedures used by institutions for the quality enhancement of e-learning. The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) have provided the overarching framework for internal and external quality assurance in higher education in Europe since 2005. Since then, the provision of e-learning and related processes such as e-assessment have increased significantly. The Horizon 2020 project “An Adaptive Trust-based e-Assessment System for Learning” (TeSLA) developed a system to facilitate online examination that ensures learner authentication and authorship. Seven universities participating in the project pilot tested the TeSLA system, covering aspects including educational and e-assessment frameworks, data privacy mechanisms and the TeSLA instruments for voice, face and keystroke recognition integrated into each university’s virtual learning environment. The project’s work package on quality assurance looked at ways to best evaluate and assure the quality of e-assessment and ensure learner authentication and authorship in online and blended learning environments. The objective of the QA activities in the project was to formulate a framework that accommodates the specific characteristics of e-assessment and narrows the gap between traditional and online education provision, as well as to better address the distinctive features of e-assessment and
further enhance its quality and reliability.

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