Digital assessment transition is a priority for many higher education institutions worldwide. Yet, the question remains whether to stretch current LMS and VLE technologies for this purpose or to explore dedicated platforms. There are already several options on the market built specifically for online assessment.
While repurposing an LMS or VLE may seem a convenient choice, their focus is on learning and teaching rather than digital assessment.
LMSs and VLEs have clear benefits for teaching and learning. An LMS can be combined with other tools to create a wider virtual learning environment. While it may seem convenient to keep using the LMS and/or VLE for assessments, it can lead to assessment design being constrained by functionality that was not built with rich authentic assessment in mind. This in turn hampers both innovation and the student experience.
This post explores the key differences between the two product categories. While each vendor, such as Moodle, Canvas, Brightspace, Blackboard or Vklass may offer different LMS features, the comparison holds across the product category.
So, LMS or digital assessment platform? Read on to find out the best way to handle your digital assessment needs.
LMS and VLE are often referred to interchangeably or as simply ‘LMS’. A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software platform designed to support teaching and learning in person, remotely or a hybrid of the two. They contain a vast array of tools to support different elements of teaching and learning. These include content creation, communication between faculty and students, and course or module management.
A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) combines an LMS with other platforms and tools to enhance the learning experience. Because of the way in which tools are integrated, it can appear that the LMS is the only platform in use.
LMSs have been broadly adopted beyond “classic” elearning or distance learning, becoming core digital teaching and learning platforms in higher education institutions.
The core elements of the LMS have remained pretty much stable over time. Yet focus has shifted from a static repository of content and files, to a richer, more interactive user experience, often supported by the use of gamification, video content and real-time messaging.
LMSs have recently entered a different phase with the rise of cloud deployments in search for improved security, scalability and rapid release of features. This has dramatically shifted the way that these platforms are extended or integrated with new functionality.
Regardless of the proprietary or open-source nature of the product itself, there is a clear trend to abandon built-in extensions in favor of external applications integrated via standards (such as LTI 1.3.) and REST APIs that better fit the rapid pace of innovation that the market demands.
LMSs provide many benefits for higher education institutions. This list summarizes the more representative elements across the different providers:
Digital assessment platforms or ecosystems - also called online assessment, electronic assessment, e-assessment, digital examinations, or computer-based assessment - are built to support end-to-end digital assessment strategies for higher education institutions.
This goes beyond the boundaries of an LMS, by providing greater flexibility, integrity options and an enhanced student experience. This is centered around assessment, rather than a learning journey. There are many benefits to this, including the ability to assess skills in the context of real-world situations, and thus generating a more authentic assessment.
Digital assessment, digital exams and online assessment are sometimes used interchangeably. Digital assessments are those delivered, submitted or marked on a digital device. They may be remote or in person and the candidate may be online for only some or part of their assessment. This flexibility makes an effective platform and happy student experience, based on good pedagogy and the interaction of student and platform, not dependent on the speed or reliability of an internet connection.
Digital and online assessment is an important piece for digital transformation in universities. It goes beyond moving out of paper-based assessments and into a robust assessment practice that considers the technical aspects like security and scalability. An extension of this practice is the impact of the assessment itself in employability and active citizenship.
The benefits of digital assessment platform compared to an LMS, lie in the specifics of creating an assessment strategy.
Key benefits can be summarized as follows:
Both an LMS and a digital assessment platform have parts to play in the education of students onsite, remotely and in a hybrid environment. The table below highlights the differing needs in learning and teaching and assessment.
A digital assessment platform focuses on the very different assessment needs compared to those in learning and teaching, best found in an LMS.
Assessment needs |
Learning and teaching needs |
|
Requirement |
Secure, robust at scale. Roles and permissions structured to reflect the more regulated environment of assessment |
Open, experimental. Individual modifications to suit learning and teaching needs |
Environment |
Regulated, both in terms of institution and - in some cases - statutory or professional bodies where data integrity requirements are high |
Dynamic and evolving over time to suit changing content, contexts and cohorts |
Access |
On a need to access basis |
Multiple contributors/owners with a more open policy on authorship |
Regulation |
Assessments must comply with assessment regulation which is narrower than teaching and learning |
Capacity to be experimental and try new things within a much more open and broad framework |
Use circumstances |
A digital space where students are focused on time bound assessments |
Students have time to interact with their learning materials |
Capacity |
Assessments can involve large numbers of students all working and submitting at the same time or in the same time frame |
Students learn and interact largely at their own pace over a much greater timespan |
An LMS is not designed to deliver large-scale exams. While it is possible, the experience is suboptimal for both staff and students. Staff are constrained by the limitations of a platform designed to deliver quizzes within a module, not exams across a programme, school or any other configuration.
While plugins are available to widen the scope of an LMS to deliver an exam, this increases the complexity of setup and maintenance for an institution. Proctoring would also require a separate plugin with potentially another login for a student to use when they are already trying to concentrate on their exam.
Finally, a lack of central and fine controls means that exams have to be replicated to multiple instances on the LMS to cater for differing student needs, modules or programmes and time slots.
A digital assessment platform on the other hand provides a streamlined user experience, designed for staff and students. The time and effort required is lower, leaving staff to concentrate on other important academic tasks and students to take their assessments in a stress and clutter-free environment.
Specific to a remote online exam environment, a digital assessment platform provides enhanced levels of monitoring students and their engagement with their assessment. A live dashboard displays real-time information that allows intervention, provides context where assistance is required and an audit trail for post-exam analysis.
As demonstrated here, both digital assessment platforms and LMSs have an important place in an institution's digital ecosystem. An LMS might be the right place for a quick, short quiz that you want to set up for your students, but for anything bigger than that - whether formative or summative - a digital assessment platform provides flexibility, security and a streamlined user experience for your students.
Digital Assessment Platform |
LMS |
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Edited on July 26th 2023 for terminology and clarification.
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