Digital exams

Commenting on Making it Click, a report from AQA which makes a case for moving to digital exams, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:   

"It is right to look to make assessment more fit for the future, although this should be just the first step in far wider assessment reform. Digital exams are more fit for the future than written exams, but they are still only a test of what you can remember and regurgitate within a few hours. Students, teachers, employers and FE/HE courses are looking for broader skills than simple memory recall and England is falling behind other countries in assessing these vital things. 
 
"Schools are severely underfunded already, and the condition of the school estate means it is in desperate need of investment. Wi-fi and digital hardware is not of equal quality and accessibility in schools and homes around the country. This could lead to some students having far more means to practise being assessed digitally than others, and disadvantaged students being presented with another hurdle placed in their way towards a fair shot. Access to digital devices, connection and skills is not equal and without adequate provision, mean this move could exacerbate existing inequalities. 
 
"Teachers would need suitable time and training to ensure they are best placed to support students in preparing for these new assessments. History suggests that this is not always a given when there is assessment reform. No changes should be introduced until a guaranteed package of time and training is put forward to enable teachers to engage with the change within the scope of their current job, and not as an addition to it."