Press Release
Date: Wednesday 23 August 2006 (NR/23/06)
Technology makes light work of marking for examiners
Northern Ireland ’s exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), has hailed a pilot project to mark GCSE examination papers on screen a success.
CCEA says that the approach of using software to mark scanned images of examination scripts displayed on computer screens improves the standard of marking and speeds up the process of awarding grades. And the good news for examiners is that it could mean the end of handling heavy boxes of paper scripts.
The pilot involved more than 50 examiners and around 5,000 students sitting examinations in GCSE English Literature and ICT.
CCEA Director of Operations Neil Anderson explained why the work had been undertaken:
“Firstly we wanted to see if we could meet the technological challenge of scanning and electronically marking 1000s of exam papers and I’m pleased to say we’ve done that. We also wanted to be certain that there were real benefits for examiners and students to be gained from marking exam papers on-screen.
I’m particularly pleased that this approach adds value to the quality of marking. For example, even before examiners are allowed to mark live scripts they are required to mark a number of questions which have been standardised by senior examiners. Only when examiners have demonstrated that they are marking to the agreed standard are they able to proceed with marking live scripts. This process continues throughout the marking process, ensuring standards are maintained.
Another benefit is that throughout the marking process a Chief Examiner can monitor both the standards and the progress being made by the marking team. Ongoing support and guidance is provided to examiners online as required, greatly speeding up the quality assurance process. This monitoring of marking standards throughout the process removes the need for the traditional review of standards which takes place only after all marking has been completed.
In addition, use of computers removes the need for examiners to tot up candidates’ scores, as this is done automatically as the scripts are marked. The overall activity of marking and awarding grades could be shortened by up to a week allowing for results to be issued earlier.”
Looking ahead as to whether CCEA will now be marking all scripts this way, Mr Anderson continued:
“Having proved the technology works and that this approach delivers real benefits, we now have to consider two major challenges before agreeing on the next steps.
Firstly, CCEA employs in the region of 3,000 examiners each year, all of whom would have to be trained in on-screen marking. Secondly, to roll this out over our full suite of GCSE, GCE and other qualifications would mean a considerable investment for CCEA and the forthcoming Education and Skills Authority (ESA). These are major decisions that will only be made after considerable thought and analysis.”
The Northern Ireland GCSE results statistics will be published on Thursday 24 August 2006 .
The subjects and numbers of papers involved were:
- GCSE ICT Higher Tier papers 1 and 2 (11,000 papers)
- English Literature, Foundation Tier (500 papers)
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
