The term electronic management of assessment (EMA) refers to the way that technology can be used 'across the assessment lifecycle to support the electronic submission of assignments as well as marking and feedback'. (JISC EMA Guide ). The terms "online submission" and "online marking" are also commonly used:
EMA offers a range of benefits for students and staff which have been summarised in JISC's EMA guide. In Autumn 2017 the DEO, in partnership with BILT, interviewed staff who have adopted online marking and feedback, and gathered feedback from students who have experienced it. The benefits they identified were grouped into three main areas: convenience, clarity and consistency.
Listen to extracts from the interviews and find out more.
Follow our instructions on getting started with EMA.
There is currently no single tool which supports all EMA requirements, so workflows are available using Blackboard and Turnitin Feedback Studio. Each of these tools has pros and cons depending on requirements. For guidance on supported and recommended marking workflows see EMA guides. If you are considering using online marking please contact the Digital Education Office, who will be able to provide advice on the most appropriate tool.
If you are marking or administering marking online please see the Safety and Health services workplace guidance on using display screen equipment.
The University of York has some useful guidance about reading on screen.
The DEO has developed a 10 steps model for introducing EMA in a School.
The Digital Education Office (DEO) has been supporting the use of technology to manage submission, marking and feedback for a number of years. To support the institutional focus on assessment for learning and to help staff optimise their delivery of high quality assessment and feedback, from 2017-18 the Digital Education Office will offer all Schools dedicated support to move to EMA. The deployment of EMA workflows across the institution will be undertaken over three years, from 2017 to 2020. More information can be found on the EMA project page.
The DEO can offer training for administrative staff and markers. Contact the DEO to discuss your requirements.
JISC has worked with several institutions on EMA and evaluated these projects. They have summarised some of the benefits for students and benefits for staff.