Opinion split on digital examinations

Otago Girls' High School pupils Moli Ahokovi (17, left) and Sofia Fortunato (19) show their preference for sitting NCEA exams. Photo: Gregor Richardson
Otago Girls' High School pupils Moli Ahokovi (17, left) and Sofia Fortunato (19) show their preference for sitting NCEA exams. Photo: Gregor Richardson
While many secondary school pupils are welcoming the move towards digital examinations, some Dunedin principals are not.

A recent New Zealand Qualifications Authority survey of pupils, teachers, principal nominees, exam centre managers, supervisors and markers involved in the 2018 trials and pilots digital exams found 97% of pupils gave the experience the thumbs-up.

Otago Girls' High School pupil Moli Ahokovi said she sat the NCEA level 2 English exam online last year and loved it.

''I found it really convenient. Since I'm a very fast typer, it gave me more time at the end to go over my work and make sure it was good.

''A lot of my friends liked it, too. It just saves time. We think it's the way forward.''

But not everyone agreed. Fellow pupil Sofia Fortunato said she did the practice exam online, and the actual exam using traditional pen and paper.

She preferred the latter because it allowed her to communicate ''spontaneous ideas'' better.

NZQA digital assessment transformation deputy chief executive Andrea Gray said the findings from the survey were providing ''valuable input'' to develop the digital exam programme as it ''ramps up'' this year.

More than 5000 pupils from 82 schools chose to participate in the 2018 digital-only level 1 science trial, and a further 6700 from 53 schools participated in at least one digital pilot exam.

While NZQA recognised there was more work to be done on delivering a good exam experience where graphing, equations and formulae were required, she said pupil feedback showed the organisation was ''on the right track''.

''Online exams fit with the way students are doing much of their learning and how they interact with the world, and it helps to prepare them for their next steps after school.

''Among the feedback on the pilot exams, students who responded to the survey overwhelmingly preferred digital to paper, particularly because of the typing and editing opportunity, and they provided ideas for further improving the interface.''

However, Logan Park High School co-principal Peter Hills said he was concerned about the increasing level of digitisation of NCEA exams.

He worried it would disadvantage pupils in lower socio-economic parts of the community if, or when, online exams became compulsory.

Many might not be able to afford laptops which would be required for all school work and examinations.

He was also worried about the cost of running digital exams.

But most importantly, he did not believe digital exams would help pupils achieve higher levels in NCEA assessment.

While Otago Girls' High School principal Linda Miller agreed with Mr Hills' concerns, she said schools owed it to their pupils to try the system.

''It's only fair. We've got to try it with subjects, because this is the way many students are learning.

''With so many schools being BYOD [bring your own device], it's a bit crazy to require the students to only do paper-based exams.

''We've got a responsibility to provide students with modes of assessment which reflect the way in which they learn.

''But we operate in an education system and society where there is not equity of access to digital devices, and until we address that, I don't believe we can fully implement digital assessment.''

This year, NZQA will offer 14 subjects digitally, across NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3, and the range of subjects will expand in 2020 and beyond.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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