TRANSITIONING TO TABLET-BASED ASSESSMENT IN A PROGRAM WITH DISTANCE SITES

Auditorium A

Objective. To provide guidelines and strategies for transitioning from traditional paper/pencil-based assessments to the use of computer tablets, in academic programs that include large classes and distance sites. Background. Computer-based assessments are now becoming more common-place, and the latest progression in this trend is to use tablets (such as an iPad). The College of Pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University adopted SofTest-M for use in all academic assessments with the incoming class in 2013. To date this is the first known attempt to introduce tablet-based assessment in a program with fairly large class sizes, and distance campuses. Methods. The authors present a project plan that may be most useful in allowing for a smooth transition from paper/pencil assessments to tablet-based assessments. Results from surveys administered to both students and faculty were also used to inform best practices. Results. The "leap" from paper/pencil testing to tablet-based assessment was much easier than anticipated. Students generally embraced the tablet-based assessments without difficulty and while faculty were slower to accommodate the change, most found the use of tablets to have significant advantages. Some challenges remain, such as proctoring, policy and procedural issues, and limitations to the functionality of the current available tablets. Conclusion. The transition from traditional paper/pencil exams to computer-based assessments can be daunting yet it was found to be much easier in practice. There are clear advantages to using tablets for assessment, but tablets are hardly "perfect" for all assessment situations. Grants. None