Students give online exams the thumbs up

Trials for digital assessments in secondary schools are off to a promising start, however some schools will struggle to afford the technology, says a principal.

NZQA is working towards all NCEA exams being online by 2020, ‘‘where appropriate’’.

The qualification authority’s deputy chief executive Andrea Gray says online exams will be used where technically feasible and where the curriculum lends itself to digital assessment.

Long Bay College year 11 students trialled an economics exam online. Student Luke McGregor says doing the assessment on a computer made it easier.

‘‘For me, handwriting takes a lot longer than typing, so it definitely is a lot easier to type than to write. It definitely helps me achieve and get what needs to be done, done,’’ McGregor says.

Student Matt Coombe says typed answers are also more legible and the digital focus will teach students the computer skills they need for future jobs.

He says students already do internal assessments on a computer, so they’re comfortable with it. The pair says there are a few things to tweak, such as the graphing interface.

Gray says the move towards digital exams reflects the increasingly digital environment students already learn in.

She says there will be some challenges in ensuring equity in the delivery of digital assessments but NZQA has asked schools and candidates to opt in when they are ready. She says they’ve also worked through security risks.

Long Bay College principal Russell Brooke says the digital assessments will be easier on teachers in the long run.

‘‘It is real world in a sense and could lead to anytime, anywhere assessment. That changes the face of education and schools,’’ Brooke says.

But there are risks with technology infrastructure, he says.

‘‘It will depend on how much money schools have invested in their digital platform and the level of service that is providing to the students.

‘‘There is a major equity issue across New Zealand. It will be interesting to see if that manifests itself in results.’’

ZIZI SPARKS/FAIRFAX NZ Long Bay College students Matt Coombe, left, and Luke McGregor say the NZQA digital assessment trials have made a good start.