Assessment issues on a web-based course

Web-based courses are becoming increasingly popular. The use of new technology raises issues relating to pedagogy, content and interaction. As these issues are addressed there needs to be a subsequent alteration in the type of assessment used on such courses and the associated procedures. This paper examines the assessment on a popular web-based course offered by the UK Open University. The assessment is web based and submitted electronically, with a student-created web site replacing the traditional exam. The paper examines student feedback and the lessons learnt from the presentation of this course. The broader issues web-based assessment raises for educators, students and universities are then discussed. These include the creation of a technical barrier in the assessment process, the degree to which technical skills are taught in any course, the tension between individuality and robustness in submissions and the detection of plagiarism