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News  Dundee blends CAA and traditional learning with assessment software
For Immediate Release
Dundee blends CAA and traditional learning with assessment software University takes institutional license for Questionmark Perception24 February 2003 Dundee University has selected Questionmark Perception testing and assessment software to enable it to blend its CAA (Computer Aided Assessment) with its traditional teaching and new e-learning systems. It has purchased an institutional license of the software, the first university in Scotland to take this step. Questionmark software makes it easy for educators to write, administer and report on assessments, tests, quizzes, exams and surveys using PCs, local area networks, the Internet and intranets. The Perception software will work in conjunction with the University's VLE (virtual learning environment), Blackboard, to deliver assessments and exams to all faculties via a central resource. Richard Parsons, an academic in the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Dundee University, comments, "Perception fits neatly into our learning and teaching strategy and we are encouraging its use as both a support to traditional teaching methods and alongside our new e-learning tools. The software offers an incredible depth of features that people don't always realise until they get into it. Despite this depth, it still manages to be flexible and easy to use. In my opinion, other products in this field are some years away from competing with Perception." Dundee University now has the ability to run exams using Perception's secure browser facility, which Richard Parsons considers to be "excellent". In fact, the University is able to examine up to 400 students in one session using the new technology. The Centre for Learning and Teaching has produced a policy and procedure guideline for running assessments, which will, ultimately, become the University's guideline for CAA. This is based upon use of Perception as a standard assessment tool. As Richard Parsons says, "Perception follows British standards very closely. This strong adherence to industry standards was a compelling reason to buy Perception. It meant that we could buy with confidence." Dundee University has also developed an online CAA course for lecturers based primarily on Perception. This has already been presented to 15 academics who have all rated it highly. It is a five-week online course whereby lecturers interact with each other while learning about the assessment cycle. The course enhances the awareness of the importance of aligning course objectives with use of assessments. A second course will be run in April 2003 due to its initial success. About Questionmark Businesses, governments, schools, colleges, and universities in more than 50 countries use Questionmark software. Questionmark has more than 1,100 customers using Perception, with approximately 9,000 authoring systems installed, and system shipped have been configured with approximately 3,000,000 participants. Typical applications include exams, quizzes, study aids, diagnostic tests, pre-course skills assessments, and course evaluations. Questionmark is actively involved with the IMS Global Learning Consortium and supports open standards. For more information on Perception visit our website http://www.questionmark.com/uk,
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