Based on data form a range of ACODE Surveys over the last 12 months, and other industry data, there have been some distinct trends emerge that suggest that institutions are taking a fresh look at how they conduct teaching and assessment, longer term. Much of this has been predicated on what was necessary to deal with lock-down situations due to COVID-19, but more recently this has allowed institutions to consider the longer-term advantages in accommodating different forms of assessment, those that have traditionally fallen out of what was considered ‘normal’, most notably the ‘exam’. This shift in thinking has also extended to what institutions considering different forms of delivery of their core content, with there being a distinct shift away from what has been the mainstay for centuries, the ‘Lecture’. This shift has allowed for more authentic forms of delivery, ones based in more collaborative and active approaches. This presentation with provide a summary of some of the key data and share some examples of how some institutions are approaching the next few years, as uncertainty around the short-term future of in-person learning and teaching persists.

1. Current trends in online delivery and
assessment in ANZ
Professor Michael Sankey
Director Learning Futures and Lead Education Architect
Charles Darwin University
President, Australasian Council on Open, Distance and eLearning (ACODE)

2. Recognition of traditional owners and
indigenous cultures
Charles Darwin University acknowledges the traditional
custodians of the land on which we’re meeting and pays
respect to Elders both past and present and extends that
respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

3. Agenda
All based on data collected
by the Australasian Council
on Open Distance and
eLearning (ACODE)
Introduction
The ever-evolving ecologies for learning and teaching
E-Exams
To invigilate or not invigilate that is the question?
Micro-Credentialling
Is this hype or is there actually substance to this?
Returning to the lecture
Will we see a return to the bad old days?
Virtual Collaboration and Groupwork in Online Learning
and Assessment
Can we continue to reap the benefits of collaboration and groupwork for
students’ learning in an online or blended environment?

4. Self or cloud hosted
•Institution largely either self hosted or hosted an instance
with the vendor on a private cloud, allowing customisations
that made upgrading more difficult
SaaS
•Software as a service (SaaS) vendors moving clients onto using
the one version of the software. Less customisation possible,
but upgrades happen much more easily
API
• With self hosted systems, institutions had to develop APIs (application program
interface) to allow other systems to communicate with each other
LTI & xAPI
• The advent of LTI (learning tools Interoperability) allows learning system to
invoke and to communicate with external systems against a common global
standard. This is linked with extra ‘experience’ data available through xAPI
Transmission of information
• Systems were used to provide links to documents and learning elements
contained within a repository. Limited tools in the LMS limited engagement
opportunities
Participatory creation
• The advent of more tools to allow for the co-creation, sharing and peer-review
of learning episodes. Greater interoperability has allowed for this to be more
easily mediated
Walled garden approach
• Where the LMS was the central repository for learning and pathways inside the
LMS led students to different elements in the one garden
Open garden approach
• The LMS still has a role but now so do many other systems that can interoperate.
Pathways lead between the different gardens providing far more variety
Antecedents and descendant in a changing digital ecology

6. E-Exams
• Use of proctoring software
• Which applications are being used
• How this differs from 2020

7. Used some form of Proctoring tool
22
20
Yes
N=42

8. What/which application/s were used to run online exams in
S/T1 2021?
7
4
2
5
5
3
3
2 1 1 Proctor U
Respondus Monitor
Cadmus
Proctorio
Zoom
RP Now
Inspera
ExamSoft
Iris
eVigilation
N=22*
* A number of universities employed more than 1 tool

9. 7
4
2
5
5
3
3
2
1
1
8
12
Proctor U
Respondus Monitor
Cadmus
Proctorio
Zoom
RP Now
Inspera
ExamSoft
Iris
eVigilation
N=42
What/which application/s were used to run online exams in
S/T1 2021?

10. Is this different to what you did in 2020?
16
26
Yes
N=42

11. Micro-credentialling
• No one solution
• Government will soon implement
a new framework
• TACs are requiring certainty
• Only half the Uni’s in ANZ have a
policy in place
• Less have a framework or
credentialling engine
• But this has increased significantly
over the last two years

12. Returning to the lecture
• COVID-19 provided Uni’s with both threats and
opportunities in how to support students in core
teaching activities, such as lectures
• Many took the opportunity to reposition their
approach to lecturing
• Others have held firm
• Many institutions will not return to that mode of
delivery in the future
• Lecture will not cease to exist, rather instructions
will now be far more judicious as to how many
and how often they will use them

18. Virtual Collaboration and Groupwork in Online Learning and Assessment
• ACODE 83 Workshop held online in April
2021.
• Participants discussed how collaboration
and groupwork in learning and assessment
may have changed due to the rapid shift
online.
• It considered the affordances of online and
blended environment, and more specifically
what equity/inclusion challenges have
arisen from this, and how Uni’s are
addressing these challenges.

19. N=32

21. Main themes
Tools That Could be
Better Utilised
• MS Teams
• Lots of flexibility as there is
so much in it, we are only
scratch the surface
• Students will use in the
business world
• The integrated nature of
Teams
• App based and flexible
Technical Challenges
• Teams does have some issues
e.g. dual tenancy
• Not seen to be about L&T yet
• Early days and many have not
investigated technical side
yet
• The non-persistent nature of
some tools
• Supported by different area
(tech vs non-tech)
Main Business Drivers
• LMS integrations were seen
as really important
• Emergency remote teaching,
cost savings, many already
have the O365 tools and LMS
• 21st century tools and moving
to more professional tools
• A TEL strategy and set of
standards for digital learning
• A stronger focus on active,
collaborative and authentic
learning and assessment

22. Main themes cont…
Primary Tools Used for
Assessment
• LMS Features x29 (91%)
• Zoom for oral presentations
and monitoring x6 (19%)
• Teams x4 (13%)
• Bb Collaborate x3
• FeedbackFruits x2
• Other single responses
including, Cadmus, Perusall,
Mural and Google
Student Equity Issues
• How well do Uni’s assess
collaboration/assessment
tools for digital equity?
• ‘poorly and ad-hock’ x6
• active compliance with
WCAG standards x4
• Use of the ASCILITE TELAS
Framework x3
• 16% (5) explicitly mentioned
that technology committees
took an active interest
• Universal Design for Learning
(UDL) x5
Support Resources for
Students
• Half the institutions help
students with their private
devices
• Others did not and also
deferred student support to
other areas (Library)
• 25% identified having
bursaries and loan schemes
to assist with buying ICTs

23. https://www.acode.edu.au

24. Four White Papers
• This has all been based on data from a range of ACODE Surveys over the last 12 months, looking at
emerging trends in the sector, on how Uni’s conduct teaching and assessment.
• Much was predicated on what was necessary due to COVID-19, but this has also allowed Uni’s to
consider the longer-term advantages of different forms of assessment, most notably the ‘exam’.
• This shift in thinking has extended to what Uni’s considering different forms of delivery of their core
content, with there being a distinct shift away from the ‘Lecture’.
• This shift has allowed for more authentic forms of delivery, ones based in more collaborative and
active approaches.
• This presentation has provided a summary of some of the key data of how Uni’s are approaching the
next few years, as uncertainty around the future of in-person learning and teaching persists.