IT-solutions for education in Estonia
Anastassia Voronina
Foundation Innove Examination Centre
anastassia.voronina@innove.ee
Background
• Estonia is an e-country:
• e-banking, e-parking, e-voting, e-taxes, ID-cards, IDtickets, digi-signature
• Free Wifi:
• parks, squares, pubs, cafés, airports,
bus stations, busses, trains, beach, forest
• Skype was invented in Estonia
1,3 mln people
ca 70% Estonians
ca 25% Russians
ca 5% other
45,2 k km2
IT-solutions for education…
• foster communication between interest groups
• provide fast control and access to information
about student performance
• expand learning opportunities
• facilitate data processing
Most significant solutions
for education in Estonia
• Variety of eSchool systems (schools can choose
between different providers)
• Estonian Education Information System (EHIS)
• Electronic assessment bank (EIS)
eSchool (eKool)
Electronic grade book service with
• communication tools allowing to plan lessons and
curricula;
• sharing and distribution of learning information
between user groups in school environment;
• statistical reports for authorized individuals or
organizations;
• web-based student learning information system;
• event promotion, registration tools, client support.
Estonian Education
Information System (EHIS)
Curriculum data
School data
Teacher data
Student data
Social benefit system
Ministry of Education and
Research
Commercial banks
Police
Statistics Estonia
Qualification system
School
Estonian Education
Information System
Functionality
Pupils/students
• National examination results, institutions contacts
and related data, curriculum (description, duration,
accreditation information and the expiration dates),
social insurance – student social payments, health
insurance and student loan.
School leaders
• Education license of institution, curriculum;
statistics about teachers, students and pupils, data
input, capture and systematization; student data,
information about teachers and vacancies.
Functionality
Teachers:
• Vacancies, related data, general education school
indicators, student certificates and mark sheets –
input and print.
Local authorities:
• General education school indicators, statistics about
teachers, students and schoolars, student data of
the related institutions , information about teachers
and vacancies.
Businesses:
• Expiration dates of certificates – possibility to
control employee’s qualification, curriculum review
– information for trainers.
Electronic assessment bank (EIS)
What is EIS?
• EIS is an electronic system which provides an
opportunity to authorise e-items and perform etests.
• EIS is financed by ESF and ÕKVA 23.09.200831.12.2012
Main goals of EIS
• to supply high-quality items and tests in all
subjects and provide wider access for usage;
• to encourage usage of e-tools in the learning
process;
• to modernise and update existing testing tools;
• to raise the interest to different forms of
assessment.
EIS system possibilities
• 22+ item types
• Description of item parameters
• Flexible item layout
–
–
Instruments for translation and edition
HTML, JavaScript
• Different levels of security
• High-quality media
• Different tools (calculator,
Periodic table etc.)
EIS system possibilities
• E-test consists of items from Electronic Item Bank
• Reporting system and statistics
• Linked to Estonian Central Education Info system
(EHIS) and national digital infrastructure
• Secure login (password, ID-card)
• Different roles (teacher, students, parents, experts
etc.)
• Responses can be linked (student is not punished for
repeated mistakes)
• Responses are saved on the server therefore technical
problems do not affect test results
System delivery
• Students can use their own computer (for unsecure
delivery) or school computer (for secure delivery)
• unsecure delivery via browsers using ID-card or
password
• secure delivery via USB
–
–
Using central server (good internet connection)
Using local server (no internet or poor internet connection)
• Schools reboot computers using USB with modified
Mozilla FireFox version (based on Linux)
–
„internet allowed“ and „internet not allowed“ mode
• Computer registration (to provide extra security)
• Both cable and wireless connections are OK for
unsecure delivery, cable only for secure delivery
Requirements for schools to use EIS
• Computer (or students can bring their own device)
–
Tablets are not fully compatible to EIS, but we work on it
• Latest browser version (we prefer FF)
• Headphones to play audio and video files
• Paper (just in case student wants to take notes)
Problems
• Possible connectivity issues
• Possible technical problems
• Creation of items is quite complicated due to large
amount of parameters in matrixies
• Not compatible to tablets yet
• Possible system capacity problems
Advantages
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
No careless mistakes
No illegible handwriting
No distracting activities
No human-factor in assessment
Fast feedback
Less time needed to make an exam
Reduced costs in exam administration
Environment friendly
Possibility to monitor how students take the test
Hints of possible cheating
How do we use EIS?
2011 - …
• E-items and e-tests
– in all subjects
– different levels
– different purposes
E-tests 2012-2013
• Pilot exam in Chemistry for 9th grade
– Sample: 400 students in e-test and 450 in p-test
– Aim: to compare student performance on paper and
on computer
Some conclusions
• Students answer to MC questions much more
willingly than to open-ended questions.
– There are ca 10 times less not responded MC questions than
not responded open-ended questions.
– Using MC questions it should be considered that student can
get positive score occasionally. In the same time it is very
possible near PPT as well.
• Students answer to MC questions in CBT much
more willingly than to MC questions in PPT.
– There are ca 5 times less not responded MC questions in
CBT than THE SAME not responded questions in PPT.
• p-item subquestion
• e-item subquestion
correct
wrong
missed
E-test
e
p
e
p
e
p
P-test
MCQ
47.4
37.5
49.1
43.0
3.4
19.5
OE MCQ
MCQ
53.3
39.0
42.5
39.9
4.2
21.1
OE MCQ
MCQ
58.2
46.8
38.6
33.3
3.2
20.0
OE MCQ
MCQ
46.2
43.5
50.9
37.7
2.9
18.8
OE MCQ
MCQ
37.9
31.3
59.7
51.7
2.4
17.1
OE MCQ
MCQ
29.1
24.6
68.7
56.8
2.2
18.6
OE MCQ
MCQ
38.9
28.2
58.4
50.8
2.7
21.1
OE MCQ
MCQ
59.2
48.1
37.7
32.6
3.2
19.3
OE MCQ
E-tests 2014
• Standardized tests for 6th grade (not compulsory)
– Estonian (for native speakers, sample 651)
– Maths (Russian and Estonian version, sample 1035)
– Russian (for native speakers, sample 221)
• Final tests for 9th grade
– Chemistry and Biology (same level as classical final
examinations for 9th grade, Estonian and Russian
versions)
– History and Social Studies tests (very similar to final
test for 9th grade, Estonian version only)
• Institute of Political Science and Governance
(Tallinn University) admission exams
Plans for the future
• National summative assessments
–
–
–
3rd and 6th grade compulsory standardised tests
9th grade final exams
12th grade national exams
• University and upper-secondary school admission
exams
Thank you!
anastassia.voronina@innove.ee
Video
• Summative Chemistry test 2014 (9th grade)
• p-item subquestion
• e-item subquestion
E-test
MCQ
MCQ
OEQ
OEQ
MCQ
MCQ
OEQ
correct
e
p
28.4
28.2
25.2
13.5
60.6
68.1
49.4
46.3
18.3
14.4
25.4
22.0
14.2
15.1
wrong
e
69.4
73.4
29.3
29.8
80.4
71.4
39.1
p
62.5
65.0
16.0
26.8
76.1
59.4
30.8
missed
e
p
2.2
9.3
1.5
21.5
10.0
16.0
20.8
26.8
1.2
9.5
3.2
18.6
46.7
54.1
P-test
MCQ
MCQ
OEQ
OEQ
MCQ
MCQ
OEQ
E-item writing in EIS
vv
• vv
Functionality