In 2014 Cork Institute of Technology embarked on a process of introducing e-assessment in mathematics into some of its courses. The initial motivation for using e-assessment was to manage lecturer workload in correcting continuous assessment and therefore allow more regular assessments and feedback. Numbas was chosen as the e-assessment tool because it has a strong reputation, is user friendly and is compatible with the Virtual Learning Environment used on campus.
As part of this process the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning funded a joint project between University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology in 2015 called “Transitioning to e-assessment in Mathematics Education (TEAME)”. One aspect of the project involved the creation and testing of Numbas questions and exams. In addition to this they were also gathered and tagged so that they would be easy for others both inside the participating institutions and in other institutes to find and reuse. The use of Numbas was rolled out to several large courses and became embedded in the modules. The project came to an end in December 2016.
The aim of this talk is to discuss the ongoing impact of the project now that the dust has settled. A year and a half on from the end of the project Numbas is being used on a regular basis by many members of the Mathematics Department. Numbas e-assessment is embedded into modules and it is discussed by staff as an example of a beneficial educational technology. Numbas is now by far the most widely used educational technology in the mathematics department.
This talk will reflect on lessons learned during the project and how further progress can be made.