The future of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching and assessment will likely be closely linked to digital tools that are integrated into the education, but it is a fact that there is a widespread use of paper-based teaching and assessment in STEM courses at present. In order for STEM to adopt new types of comprehensive assessment, there is a need for a long-term approach with the implementation of course and program specific digital tools in education plans, before it is appropriate to use these for assessment. In other words, the STEM students must master the tools before they are to use them during assessment, which in practice means that they must be used throughout the course.

In order to ensure appropriate solutions, a thorough and long-term digitization plan is required, where the entirety of the STEM programs and content is addressed.  Even if the technical challenges associated with the use of digital tools (i.e. third-party software) is made available in the assessment solutions on a short term, it is not a given that today’s practice of extensive use of written school examinations can or should be transferred to a digital format.

This does not mean we should wait to explore, test and innovate with (new) digital assessment methods in STEM, but that development and implementation of assessment in STEM is a result of digitizing the STEM fields, and not the opposite.

At Inspera’s autumn conference 2017, we presented UiB’s work and approach to this. Watch the 13 minute presentation below and learn more about our approach in answering the difficult questions.