“AKU-EB is a pioneer in the region for successfully initiating the use of technology in Secondary and Higher Secondary School examinations. Any examination board aspiring to achieve excellence in providing examination services should adopt and adapt the model,” stated Dr Phub Rinchen, Secretary of Examinations, Bhutan Board of Examinations, in response to his visit to Aga Khan University Examination Board during June 13-18, 2010.
Dr Rinchen and Mr Karma Jurmi, IT Officer, Department of School Education, Ministry of Education, Bhutan came to Pakistan to observe AKU-EB’s entire Examination Processing System, sparked by their interest in the Board during last year’s annual conference of the International Association for Education Assessment held in Australia.
The visit focused on AKU-EB’s revolutionary use of technology, including its state-of-the-art electronic marking (e-Marking) system, the first of its kind in Asia. “AKU-EB has highly skilled professional staff to handle all aspects of examination management starting from registration, test development, conduct, e-marking, result processing, result declaration, analysis and reporting. It is impressive to note that the facility has been established within a very short span. Such an innovative strategy will not only benefit Pakistan but also other countries in the region,” added Dr Rinchen.
During the week, Dr Rinchen also hosted an interactive seminar at AKU on the tools and techniques of Formative Assessment. Advantages and challenges of continuous assessment in the classroom through non-grading methods such as portfolios and peer assessment were discussed by over 75 educationists and other professionals participating in the session.
Participants shared their diverse range of classroom experiences on teaching and evaluating student performance. They concluded that although there is no perfect formula for measuring a child’s learning, it is beneficial to have a balance between summative (graded) and formative (non-graded) assessment in the classroom.
AKU-EB looks forward to working with the Bhutan Board of Examinations in the upcoming months to help integrate the use of technology and its advantages into its assessment procedures.
Informatics 