Computer support for formative assessment

This paper describes research investigating assessment and examination of Business students. The overall goal of the research is the design of computer applications supporting collaborative learning and formative assessment. The question guiding the research presented in this paper was: How can computers support examination of business students? To approach this question, the research was conducted in three phases. The first phase investigated business students’ perception of examination. The methodology applied was data collection through a survey. Statistical analysis and interpretative content analysis were performed. The second phase, informed by the first phase, was the design and implementation of two types of computer based tools for examination. The first type is based on the notion of mandatory participation, and the second is based on the concept of peer review. In the third phase, the two designs were evaluated in a course with eighty five business students. The main findings are the following: The first phase showed a diverse perception of examination among the students. Mandatory active participation in computer-based discussions combined with peer review of reports is claimed to be a viable approach for examination in a Business School environment.