In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Jim Holm, an education technology expert with nearly 30 years of experience who now works at Stukent. They discuss:
- How simternships provide students with practical, hands-on experience that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world job skills

- The impressive results of simternships in reducing drop-out rates and increasing student engagement

- The future of performance-based assessment in the age of AI
Jim Holm explains how Stukent's simternships offer technology-based internships that complement traditional coursework. These simulated experiences help students understand what their first job experiences will be like, focussing on practical skills rather than just theoretical knowledge. Simternships teach students the tools they'll need, how to communicate effectively in a workplace, and how to identify and work toward professional objectives.
Using the example of an accounting simternship, Jim describes how students might spend 24-40 hours working through realistic scenarios where they make journal entries, track products, and coordinate communication between different teams—all in a low-stress environment that makes learning engaging. Unlike many business simulations that focus on high-level executive decision-making, simternships prepare students for entry-level positions they're likely to encounter after graduation.

Currently, Stukent offers around 40 different simternships primarily focussed on business topics, from digital marketing to social media and accounting. While the technology could potentially expand to other fields like chemical engineering or nursing, the company currently concentrates on business-related courses.

Looking to the future, Jim believes that as AI continues to advance, proving what you can do rather than just what you know will become increasingly important in education and assessment. He envisions simternships evolving beyond learning tools to become sophisticated measurement instruments that evaluate how well individuals can synthesise information, communicate effectively, and make business decisions.

Stukent currently serves over 1,000 universities worldwide, with about 80% based in the US and the remainder in English-speaking countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia. While they're primarily focussed on higher education, they're expanding into high school-level career and technical education programmes.
Connect with Jim Holm on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimholm/
Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat
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Join me this week to take a look at online and hybrid events taking place over the next week in the Assessment community plus an insight into my interviews with Jim Holm (Simternships) and Bradley Emi (Ai Dection Tools).

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/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network