IT- solutions for education in Estonia

1. IT-solutionsforeducation in Estonia • Anastassia Voronina • Foundation Innove ExaminationCentre • anastassia.voronina@innove.ee

2. Background • Estonia isan e-country: • e-banking, e-parking, e-voting, e-taxes, ID-cards, ID-tickets, digi-signature • FreeWifi: • parks, squares, pubs, cafés, airports, busstations, busses, trains, beach, forest • Skype was invented in Estonia 1,3 mln people ca 70% Estonians ca 25% Russians ca 5% other 45,2 k km2

4. IT-solutionsforeducation… • fostercommunicationbetweeninterestgroups • providefastcontrol and accesstoinformationaboutstudentperformance • expandlearningopportunities • facilitatedataprocessing

5. Mostsignificantsolutions foreducation in Estonia • Variety of eSchoolsystems(schools can choose between different providers) • Estonian EducationInformationSystem (EHIS) • Electronicassessmentbank (EIS)

6. eSchool (eKool) Electronicgradebookservicewith • communicationtoolsallowingtoplanlessons and curricula; • sharing and distribution of learninginformationbetweenusergroups in schoolenvironment; • statisticalreportsforauthorizedindividualsororganizations; • web-basedstudentlearninginformationsystem; • eventpromotion, registrationtools, clientsupport.

7. Curriculum data • Schooldata • Teacher data • Student data • School Estonian EducationInformationSystem (EHIS) • Social benefit system • Ministry of Education and Research • Commercial banks • Police • Statistics Estonia  • Qualification system • Estonian Education InformationSystem

8. Functionality Pupils/students • Nationalexaminationresults, institutionscontacts and relateddata, curriculum (description, duration, accreditationinformation and theexpirationdates), socialinsurance – studentsocialpayments, healthinsurance and studentloan. Schoolleaders • Educationlicense of institution, curriculum; statisticsaboutteachers, students and pupils, datainput, capture and systematization; studentdata, informationaboutteachers and vacancies.

9. Functionality Teachers: • Vacancies, relateddata, generaleducationschoolindicators, studentcertificates and mark sheets – input and print. Localauthorities: • General educationschoolindicators, statisticsaboutteachers, students and schoolars, studentdata of therelatedinstitutions , informationaboutteachers and vacancies. Businesses: • Expirationdates of certificates – possibilitytocontrolemployee’squalification, curriculumreview – informationfortrainers.

10. Electronicassessmentbank (EIS)

11. Whatis EIS? • EIS isanelectronicsystemwhichprovidesanopportunitytoauthorise e-items and performe-tests. • EIS isfinancedby ESF and ÕKVA 23.09.2008- 31.12.2012

12. Main goals of EIS • tosupplyhigh-qualityitems and tests in all subjects and providewideraccessforusage; • toencourageusage of e-tools in thelearningprocess; • tomodernise and updateexistingtestingtools; • toraisetheinteresttodifferentforms of assessment.

13. EIS system possibilities • 22+ item types • Description of item parameters • Flexible item layout • Instruments for translation and edition • HTML, JavaScript • Different levels of security • High-qualitymedia • Differenttools (calculator, Periodictableetc.)

14. EIS system possibilities • E-test consists of items from Electronic Item Bank • Reportingsystem and statistics • Linked to Estonian Central Education Info system (EHIS) and nationaldigitalinfrastructure • Secure login (password, ID-card) • Different roles (teacher, students, parents, experts etc.) • Responses can be linked (student is not punished for repeatedmistakes) • Responses are saved on the server therefore technical problems do not affect test results

15. Systemdelivery • Studentscanusetheirowncomputer(forunsecuredelivery) orschoolcomputer(forsecuredelivery) • unsecuredeliveryviabrowsersusing ID-cardorpassword • securedeliveryvia USB • Usingcentral server (good internet connection) • Usinglocal server (no internet or poor internet connection) • Schoolsrebootcomputersusing USB withmodifiedMozillaFireFoxversion (based on Linux) • „internet allowed“ and „internet notallowed“ mode • Computerregistration (toprovideextrasecurity) • Bothcableand wirelessconnections are OK forunsecuredelivery, cableonlyforsecuredelivery

16. Requirements for schools to use EIS • Computer (orstudentscanbringtheirowndevice) • Tablets are notfullycompatibleto EIS, butwework on it • Latestbrowserversion (weprefer FF) • Headphonestoplay audio and video files • Paper (just in casestudentwantstotake notes)

17. Problems • Possibleconnectivityissues • Possibletechnical problems • Creation of itemsisquitecomplicatedduetolargeamount of parameters in matrixies • Notcompatibletotabletsyet • Possiblesystemcapacityproblems

18. Advantages • No carelessmistakes • No illegiblehandwriting • No distracting activities • No human-factor in assessment • Fastfeedback • Lesstimeneededtomakeanexam • Reduced costs in examadministration • Environment friendly • Possibility to monitor how students take the test • Hints of possible cheating

19. How do we use EIS?

20. 2011 - … • E-items and e-tests • in all subjects • different levels • different purposes

21. E-tests 2012-2013 • Pilot exam in Chemistry for 9th grade • Sample: 400 students in e-test and 450 in p-test • Aim: to compare student performance on paper and on computer

22. Someconclusions • Studentsanswerto MC questionsmuchmorewillinglythantoopen-ended questions. • There are ca 10 timeslessnot respondedMC questionsthannot respondedopen-ended questions. • Using MC questionsitshouldbeconsideredthatstudentcangetpositivescoreoccasionally. In thesametimeitisverypossiblenear PPT aswell. • Studentsanswerto MC questions in CBTmuchmorewillinglythantoMC questions in PPT. • There are ca 5 timeslessnot respondedMC questions in CBT thanTHE SAMEnot respondedquestions in PPT.

23. p-item subquestion • e-item subquestion

25. E-tests 2014 • Standardized tests for 6th grade (not compulsory) • Estonian (for native speakers, sample 651) • Maths (Russian and Estonian version, sample 1035) • Russian (for native speakers, sample 221) • Final tests for 9th grade • Chemistry and Biology (same level as classical final examinations for 9th grade, Estonian and Russian versions) • History and SocialStudies tests (very similar to final test for 9th grade, Estonian version only) • Institute of Political Science and Governance (Tallinn University) admission exams

26. Plansforthefuture • Nationalsummativeassessments • 3rd and 6th gradecompulsory standardisedtests • 9th gradefinalexams • 12th grade national exams • University and upper-secondary schooladmissionexams

27. Thankyou! anastassia.voronina@innove.ee

29. Video • SummativeChemistry test 2014 (9th grade)

30. p-itemsubquestion • e-itemsubquestion

31. E-item writing in EIS

32. vv • vv

33. Functionality