E-marking

E-marking (also known as onscreen marking) is the use of digital educational technology specifically designed for marking. The term refers to the electronic marking or grading of an exam. E-Marking is an examiner led activity closely related to other e-assessment activities such as e-testing, or e-learning which are student led. e-marking allows markers to mark a scanned script or online response on a computer screen rather than on paper.

There are no restrictions to the types of tests that can use e-marking, with e-marking applications designed to accommodate multiple choice, written, and even video submissions for performance examinations. E-marking software is used by individual educational institutions and can also be rolled out to the participating schools of awarding exam organisations. e-marking has been used to mark many well known high stakes examinations, which in the United Kingdom include A levels and GCSE exams, and in the US includes the SAT test for college admissions. Ofqual reports that e-marking is the main type of marking used for general qualifications in the United Kingdom.

History of e-marking

The history of e-marking dates back to the origins of e-assessment itself. Early adopters include the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, (which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment) which conducted its first major test of e-marking in November 2000. Cambridge Assessment has conducted extensive research into e-marking and e-assessment. The syndicate has published a series of papers, including research specific to e-marking such as: Examining the impact of moving to on-screen marking on concurrent validity.^{[Education 1]}

In 2007, the International Baccalaureate implemented e-marking. In 2012, 66% of nearly 16 million exam scripts were "e-marked" in the United Kingdom.^{[Education 2]} Ofqual reports that in 2015, all key stage 2 tests in the United Kingdom will be marked onscreen.

In 2014, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) announced that most of the National 5 question papers would be e-marked.^{[Education 3]}

More recently, e-marking has also been adopted in other countries such as India. In fact, in June 2015, the state government of India announced that it would be using e-marking for all streams^{[Education 4]} (including arts, science and commerce) from 2016 onwards.

The e-Marking Process

e-marking can be used to mark examinations that are completed on paper and then scanned and uploaded as digital images, as well as online examinations. Multiple-choice exams can be either marked by examiners online or be automarked where appropriate. When marking written script exams, e-marking applications provide markers with the online tools and resources to mark as they go and can add up marks as they progress without exceeding the prescribed total for each question.

All candidate details are hidden from the work being marked to ensure anonymity during the marking process. Once marking is complete, results can be uploaded immediately, reducing both the time spent by examiners posting results and the wait time for students.

References

1. "Examining the impact of moving to on-screen marking on concurrent validity" (PDF). Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
2. "The Rise of Onscreen Marking Around The World". RM Results. RM Results. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
3. "An Introduction to E-marking" (PDF). SQA. SQA. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
4. "State government of India announces that it would be using e-marking for all streams from 2016". Times of India. Times of India. Retrieved 15 October 2015.