17th December 2009 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The examinations watchdog Ofqual have recommended a move towards pupils taking examinations online or on computers rather than with pen and paper, The Times has reported.
The future of examinations seems to be inevitably moving towards computer based tests. The benefits of which would include automatic and fairer marking, the ability to randomise question order and automatically detect possible cheating.
Kathleen Tattersall, the chairwoman of Ofqual has said, “We now have children going into school aged 4 and 5 who have good computer skills.”
“If we have youngsters coming into school who are computer savvy in a way that the adults are not and never were at that age then it is really inconceivable to think that any of these five-year-olds who have to do their GCSEs at 15, and A levels and qualifications at the age of 18, will be sitting there with a pen and paper. That is not what they would be expecting to use.
“So I think what we need to do is map out an approach which would culminate, let’s say in ten years’ time, in an online system as opposed to your pen and paper system.”