Designing components of a sample system considering effect of web-based technologies on meaningful measurement and assessment practices

AbstractThe changes taking place in measurement and assessment require using of assessment methods which can gain more clues about students’ learning, at the same time inform them about their shortcomings and eliminate those shortcomings. While summative assessment methods enable giving grades reflecting students’ performance, formative assessment methods give feedback to students and help them develop their learning. In parallel with such a change in measurement and assessment, alternative assessment methods are being used in addition to the traditional ones. The most important key to formative assessment method, which follows student learning and helps to meet their needs, is the open and detailed feedback itself. Formative and summative assessment methods, when used together, constitute complementary, meaningful and effective assessment practices. Educators prefer not using formative assessment method due to many reasons such as gradually increasing number of students, workload and its time consumption. Advanced assessment means are needed for teachers to save time during assessment of large number of students. At this point, used information web technology covers majority of activities such as comparing, analyzing, and transferring of examination grades, and thus helps students and staff for feedback, time saving, relieving administrative workload and developing assessment methods. Information Technologies must be employed in meaningful assessment practices for not only transforming traditional assessments into electronic format but also testing students’ information and skills. In this study, web-based solutions are sought for problems arising from using of formative and summative assessment methods in traditional media. The system to be prepared must make it possible to use formative and summative assessment methods together for meaningful assessment. Particular requirements for such a system design are using questioning techniques, database management, file management and automation features in web-based media