A competency model for semi-automatic question generation in adaptive assessment

Abstract

The concept of competency is increasingly important since it conceptualises intended learning outcomes within the process of acquiring and updating knowledge. A competency model is critical to successfully managing assessment and achieving the goals of resource sharing, collaboration, and automation to support learning. Existing e-learning competency standards such as the IMS Reusable Definition of Competency or Educational Objective (IMS RDCEO specification and the HR-XML standard are not able to accommodate complicated competencies, link competencies adequately, support comparisons of competency data between different communities, or support tracking of the knowledge state of the learner.

Recently, the main goal of assessment has shifted away from content-based evaluation to intended learning outcome-based evaluation. As a result, through assessment, the main focus of assessment goals has shifted towards the identification of learned capability instead of learned content. This change is associated with changes in the method of assessment.

This thesis presents a system to demonstrate adaptive assessment and automatic generation of questions from a competency model, based on a sound pedagogical and
technological approach. The system’s design and implementation involves an ontological database that represents the intended learning outcome to be assessed across a number of dimensions, including level of cognitive ability and subject matter content. The system generates a list of the questions and tests that are possible from a given learning outcome, which may then be used to test for understanding, and so could determine the degree to which learners actually acquire the desired knowledge.

Experiments were carried out to demonstrate and evaluate the generation of assessments, the sequencing of generated assessments from a competency data model, and to compare a variety of adaptive sequences. For each experiment, methods and experimental results are described. The way in which the system has been designed and evaluated is discussed, along with its educational benefits.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Hugh Davis: orcid.org/0000-0002-1182-1459

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