The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have identified that many paper-based skills and knowledge assessments do not fully measure the candidate’s capabilities or practical knowledge.
The Assessing Reality project will develop a Virtual Reality (VR) authoring tool that will enable non-technical staff to create cost-effective VR assessments, directly on the web.
VR is ideal for vocational assessment because it will make assessment more relevant to work situations - real workplace settings can be replicated in a safe environment; consistent - assessments can be exactly the same each time; and transparent - tutors, managers or assessors will be able to see exactly what the user can see and measure their reactions in the virtual environment.
This will improve learner engagement and will also provide relevant analytics for assessors.
eCom are now working with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to plan how VR assessments could be aligned to their course content and assessment requirements. Product testing will be with learners from Fife College, City of Glasgow College, and with social enterprise Edinburgh Forge. All of these organisations are looking at using VR to support their assessment processes.