Mobile Assessment System – MES

This software is open, conversational, responsive and equipped with a set of advanced technologies in Smartphone, data management, communication and wireless response technologies. This system has achieved the following specifications: Automatically marking/grading, interactive monitoring and randomisation of questions, and the advantages: 1) ubiquitous for web based application so that users can use Internet connected devices without specific requirements for purchasing devices, 2) flexible for operating system based applications, e.g. compatible with four popular mobile operating systems, i.e. iOS, Android, Windows and Symbian, thus, easy for users to use their own devices; 3) authentication and encryption when the data is needed, 4) allow user input for both text and images; 5) interactive monitoring to observe student performance during examinations and the risk students can be identified in time; 6) randomising question arrangements to maintain the quality of examination; 7) automatically marking/grading reduces the workload and errors for staff and reduces waiting time for students, in comparison with traditional hand marking and human moderation of which students have to wait for a few weeks to obtain their results; 8) multiple sessions with multiple subjects can take place simultaneously that will significantly improve the usage of resources and reduce the cost of staff, energy and facilities.
This is a pilot project and was sponsored by EU lifelong learning programme (1, 2011 – 12, 2012). The research output has been contributed directly to the educational communities in the International conferences, book chapters and journal papers. In May 2012, prototype was presented to a HEA mobile computing workshop. The system has been trialled in the classroom for two years. For each year, about 40 to 70 first year students in Computer programming have used for the In Class Test since 2010.