In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Tom Ashmore, Digital Assessment Designer, and Elliot Spence, Senior Digital Assessment Coordinator at Birmingham City University. They discuss their award-winning hybrid assessment model and initiatives to boost digital literacy amongst students.

They discuss:

BCU's innovative hybrid assessment model that allows students to choose between on-campus or remote exams

The Digital Kickstart programme to enhance digital literacy skills for new students

The challenges of digital literacy among today's students and how BCU is addressing them

Tom and Elliot share insights about their award-winning hybrid assessment model, which gives students the flexibility to take exams either on campus or remotely using their own devices. This approach has proven particularly valuable for BCU's diverse student population, many of whom are commuters. The model ensures assessment quality remains consistent regardless of location, with remote students being proctored via live recording and on-campus students supervised traditionally.

The conversation also explores their Digital Kickstart initiative, designed to boost digital literacy skills for new students. Contrary to assumptions about younger generations being digitally savvy, they've found many students struggle with basic computer operations and software like Microsoft Office. These skills gaps cut across age groups and backgrounds, including school leavers, mature students returning to education, and international students. The team offers tailored sessions ranging from 15 minutes to an hour to help students develop essential digital competencies.

They also discuss how their digital exam platform has helped address concerns about AI in assessments, with the recording element making AI use during exams easily detectable. This has increased confidence in exams while concerns about AI in coursework have grown, leading some courses to shift from coursework to exams. Despite nearly doubling their exam submissions in recent years (from 15,000 to approximately 20,000), their team of five has managed the increased workload efficiently, demonstrating the scalability of digital assessment systems.

Connect with Tom Ashmore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-ashmore-1a18a5169/

Connect with Elliot Spence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-spence-330964181/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

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