"Educational Challenges Ahead Require Transformation In Assessment Framework"

"I fully agreed with Professor James Pellegrino, the keynote speaker at the Conference, when he said that 'the changing nature of work and society means that the premium in today's world is not merely on students' acquiring information, but on their ability to analyze, synthesize, and apply what they have learned to address new problems, design solutions, collaborate effectively, and communicate persuasively'. It is clear that the educational challenges ahead of us require a transformation in the teaching, learning and assessment framework currently in use by us."

These are the remarks of Ms Rooshi Abedi, Assistant Manager, Science Subjects, who represented AKU-EB at the 40th annual International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) conference recently held in Singapore with her research paper titled 'Online Learning and Assessment: Students' Experiences and Feedback'. The theme of the Conference was "Assessment Innovations for the 21st Century".

The IAEA is a platform for assessment agencies where practitioners, researchers, policy makers and exam authorities from around the world share and collaborate on the development and application of educational assessment techniques to improve their current practices. Ms Abedi's participation in the Conference was a part of AKU-EB's continued efforts to bring innovative assessment practices through collaboration with the international educationists and experts.

 The paper presented by Ms Abedi discussed the 21st century learning which explores and implements the problem-solving, critical thinking, application of ideas, and analytical skills required to succeed in the complex and connected world. Inevitably, in this day and age of creativity where students' minds are receiving a continuous influx of information from many sources, it is important to evaluate this knowledge through assessment procedures aligned with the nature of skills exhibited by the students. 

With this background, the Paper investigated and evaluated the effectiveness of online learning and assessment methods in assisting students' learning process; their readiness for online learning and assessment; and the challenges faced during the implementation of the program. The Paper also examined the level of improvement in students' performance and collected students' feedback for further enhancement.

Ms Abedi's research findings along with the mission and innovations in assessment that AKU-EB has been striving to introduce in Pakistan were lauded by the audience of experts int he field. "It was indeed a proud moment to represent Aga Khan University Examination Board at the international level", added Ms Abedi while sharing her experience.

Full research paper could be found here.