Assessment and marking is noted as an area for improvement for the School of Biological Sciences in the exam review and the school National Student Survey(NSS). The University currently supports an application for online Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) exams as a service but there is no supported application for short or long handwritten essay questions. Exams for Year 3 & 4 in the School of Biological Sciences include short answers and a long essay. There are no MCQ in Year 4.

This project will run a trial ExamOnline from Intelligent Assessment Technologies in the School of Biological Sciences, on a group of student volunteers from the Year 3 biology class of Dr David Cavanagh, on the 13 November 2016. The project will evaluate the suitability, and benefits, of using ExamOnline for the assessment and marking of third and fourth year exams.

Online assessment improves the student experience. Online essays tend to be shorter than handwritten ones but of better quality thanks to the ability to edit the draft. It removes any issue with deciphering handwriting for markers. It also allows for better tracking/monitoring of progress made with marking. It supports better and faster feedback to the student. Improving the student experience is a strategic goal for the school, college, ISG and the University.

ExamOnline was selected because it supports the inclusion of hand drawn diagrams which a must in this area.