Digital testing and School Exam: What's left to prove?

We can even generate million of content through artificial intelligence, plan interplanetary journeys, create quantum computers, maybe we're even on threshold of nuclear fusion power plants, robots that climb to 10^th floor  to deliver our orders, having chips in our brains, but when it comes to assessing the knowledge of future engineers, who will provide us with all of this,? we're left with paper. Where are the digital exams? We keep talking about them, but we keep postponing their implementation.

The Internet of Things is not yet  all over the place, and there are other things that slow down our Internet. Things as simple as outdated computers, processors that don't work properly, electrical extensions that don't get  far enough, the lack of a network or dodgy software.

We look out into a brave new world of technological wonders and realize that our ability to create is moving much faster than our ability to implement. Are we inventing beyond our means?

Benefits of digital exams

It doesn't require too much imagination to think about a world where our students take their exams digitally. Tests, quizzes, games and exams are now taken by millions of people around the world.

The flexibility is exciting, allowing for a wide variety of interactions and challenges that are difficult to replicate in traditional media and ensuring immediate or at least much faster feedback.

But there are other benefits too. Students don't have to take the same challenges in the same place at the same time. This is an extraordinary advantage, just think of students with physical limitations. 

This umbilical cord between the school and the local community can be deeply broken by digital media that ensure learning in different contexts and groups. This is something that already exists, so digital exams will be directly linked to this reality.

However,  let's not forget the utopia that is here to stay: individualization. Digital tests will make it possible to differentiate according to each person's abilities.

About  the rest, it's obvious: less waste of paper, more security, reliability and fairness in monitoring and evaluation. The storage of data will always allow to consult this information at any time and, above all, to use interpretation tools and even to prepare plans for recovery or reinforcement of learning. 

e-Schooling already has tools that help students, parents and schools to prepare themselves  for exams by identifying content and subjects that need to be worked on individually.

Digital and equal access

Although we all recognize that this is a path of non return, we need to be aware of several issues that may delay or hinder the transition. 

Skills and experience in using digital devices are not the same for all citizens. A very quick transition or a test based on digital skills can lead to  misrepresentation and situations of injustice or discrimination. 

We shouldn't encourage the competition between students from schools and regions with such disparate technological resources against each other (despite the exams demand competition between students), where we will have groups who have been using the latest technology since they were children and others who strugle to get the most out of it with poor infrastructures. The same goes for the teachers, supervisors and trainers who support these young people throughout their journey. 

If we want to use the full potential of digital media, there must be a serious commitment in regards of online security that guarantees the reliability of results and the privacy of users. 

We can make sure of one thing: the technology to solve all these problems already exists. 

Digital learning and assessment

Many studies have linked handwriting to long-term memory, visual and motor development, and even artistic expression. However, none of this should prevent the transition to digital exams. If science tells us that handwriting is critical to young people's development, then we must continue to invest in its use throughout the learning process. But let's not be naive: digital interfaces for capturing and accessing knowledge are, and will become, inseparable from the lives of all communities. Furthermore, new ways of digitalizing information are emerging all the time, already simulating handwriting and promising other forms worthy of a good science fiction book.

All over the world, from Europe to China, the United States and Brazil, digital tests are already being tested and gradually implemented. The level of implementation reflects the degree of generalization of the basic aspects we have listed: equipment, Internet network, security and preparation of students and teachers. 

But let's face it, the proliferation of LMSs and learning platforms will accelerate this process. You only have to look at a system like e-Schooling to see that learning relationships are individualized, streamlined and recorded through the digital platform, speeding up content creation, assessments, conversations, material consultation and personalized monitoring. With a school career like this, how much longer will we keep putting aside exams and digital tests?