Jisc assessment and feedback working group by Sarah Knight

Improved Text-to-Speech Capabilities Available for All Digital Assessments

2024-09-17 19:01:11 UTC

The 1EdTech Support for Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Using the 'data-ssml' Property Version 1.0 specification, or Data-SSML for short, is designed to improve pronunciation capabilities in digital learning resources and assessments. Data-SSML provides a standardized way to add instructions to control the pronunciation and presentation of content by text-to-speech synthesizers. This specification helps with read-aloud technology for all students and also assists visually impaired students using screen readers. Students using the accessibility feature will better understand what they’re being asked, making for a more equitable learning environment.

“Your GPS mispronouncing a street name is one thing, but if text-to-speech programs mispronounce words during an assessment, it can cause confusion and impact a person’s academic performance,” said Beatriz Arnillas, 1EdTech. “This specification reduces that risk, so every learner has the opportunity to show what they really know.”

1EdTech’s Data-SSML specification leverages the W3C’s SSML standard to include pronunciation cues in HTML and websites, expanding the options educators can confidently use to assess learner knowledge.

More info: https://www.1edtech.org/standards/data-ssml

In person digital exams

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:26:01 UTC

Share your reflections, feedback and ideas here for priorities to take forward to support sector with this area

Lower-stake, continual assessment

2024-09-19 12:35:11 UTC

As education is becoming more flexible/personalised, I'm expecting more programmatic assessment/360 degree feedback, etc. moving away from high-stake exams at the end of a module.

Mike Ewen from Hull

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:38:19 UTC

We moved fully to competence education framework over the last 3-4 years. Has seen a real shift in our assessments to more performance/portfolio style assessments (and huge reduction in exams!)

Personalised assessments

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:40:17 UTC

Optionality in assessment

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:40:53 UTC

Optionality in Assessment -

Beyond Blended: Rethinking curriculum and learning design

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:42:11 UTC

Standards and interoperability still an issue

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:45:55 UTC

Main blocker to synoptic assessment for us is our Student Information System!!

Learning impact

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 12:46:50 UTC

Hybrid, media rich, personalised assessments

2024-09-19 12:50:33 UTC

I see process oriented assessments as a future trend. I also see / would like to see better technical support for more complex (in the context of our current tool sets) assessments - where students will still be asked to present some form of written 'narrative' (which can be subject to the same and emerging academic integrity checks) - but alongside this can submit linked media rich artefacts that demonstrate process, performance, personal involvement etc. Robust support for this seems limited (e.g., large file submissions that are date stamped, locked and accessible for quality feedback etc.). The 'personalised' element here is that students should have the ability to select the format of their artefact - to express their capabilities - in their way.

Rachel's blog post after the session

ra5304fo — 2024-09-19 12:51:03 UTC

I wrote a blog after the session which may be slightly more coherent than what I said in the September meeting. Or maybe not.

Cross-sector learnings

2024-09-19 12:54:13 UTC

It would be great to find a way to facilitate more cross-sector sharing of experience and learnings related to assessment delivery. As I pointed out on the call, some sectors, for example the work-based and professional learning sectors have been using in-person digital assessments for many years. So, we don't need to reinvent the wheel all the time and indeed there may be opportunity not only to improve student experiences, but also open-up new commercial opportunites for universities in quieter periods of the year.

sarah_knight7 — 2024-09-19 13:01:14 UTC