Assessment and ‘third generation’ distance education

The convergence of computing and telecommunications technologies has created a range of new possibilities both for the communication of knowledge and for social interaction. The application of these technologies in the context of distance education has been characterised as creating a 'third generation' in terms of media and technology use. Computer mediated communication (CMC) has been seen as one of the applications of technology with the most far reaching implications for teaching and learning in distance education (Garrison, 1997). CMC enables distance learners to engage in collaborative learning and discursive interaction with peers and tutors in a variety of communicative settings. However the potential of the technology to deliver a more discursive and collaborative learning process has not always been achieved. Course designers are seeking to build constructivist pedagogy into the learning process so that students will perceive the use of computer mediated communication as essential for the achievement of the desired learning outcomes of the course. There are implications here for how students are assessed. These are explored primarily with relation to continuous assessment. Key features of continuous assessment in the context of second generation distance education are identified and these are used to review the findings of an exploratory study of the use of collaborative assignments and assessed CMC contributions in an introductory information technology course at undergraduate level. The paper concludes with a discussion of the degree to which these approaches offer a mix of benefits for learning quality and skill outcomes, with some costs in terms of reduced individual control over time and space freedoms for learning.