PP654 UniSa Freney - Final Report Feb 2010.pdf - Office for ...

within the timeframe and the available resources that were renegotiated at the outset ofthe project.Although trials were limited to the lead institution, successful authentication in twoexternal institutions was confirmed recently, and positive responses from colleagues inthese institutions, demonstrates the applicability of the system to other institutions. Theopen-source licence, provision of source code, and wiki functionality of the projectwebsite encourages wider uptake, and collaborative research and development of thesystem.More consistent and frequent communication and engagement with stakeholders,despite the technical difficulties and delays, may have helped to persuade moreacademics to become involved in trials. However, further research is required todevelop effective strategies for engaging busy academics in new eLearning systems.Although the CAFAS Online serviced hosted by UniSA has an expiry date at the end of2011, discussions with the UniSA TTAG may secure longer term commitment andensure the sustainability of this system. The open-source nature of the project willfacilitate and encourage other institutions to develop the system and host it locally fortheir own use and the CAFAS Excel system will continue to be an option beyond 2011.The findings from this study, combined with the evidence documented from previousstudies indicate that this type of system has many benefits and is a fertile area forfurther research. This project has contributed in a significant way to the growing bodyof knowledge about effective use of ICTs for delivering innovative feedback andassessment practices.It is recommended that the ALTC continues to fund ICT projects such as this, despitethe challenges identified in this report, as it is through such innovation that newapproaches to teaching and learning can develop. Projects aimed at researching anddeveloping CAA systems that address the needs of specific disciplines or assessmenttasks may be beneficial. While CAFAS addresses the “feedback form” (proforma)method of delivering feedback and assessment results, different systems may be moreapplicable to providing feedback in different contexts such as annotation ofassignments or exams.Computer Aided Feedback & Assessment System (CAFAS) 45