A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya
The guidelines developed by REMOTE, along with others devised internationally, should provide a clear roadmap for implementing practices that are appropriate to the new landscape in which digital education is becoming a reality.
The REMOTE project (Assessing and evaluating remote learning practices in STEM) was created with the aim of establishing benchmarks and guidelines to improve remote assessment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programmes, as well as:
Since 2023, the REMOTE project, organised into work packages, has been addressing its various established objectives.
Specifically, AQU Catalunya has coordinated Work Package 4 (WP4), leading to the development of three complementary documents, on which the Portuguese agency A3ES and the Italian agency ANVUR also worked. The first document is a report, spearheaded by AQU Catalunya, that integrates and aligns the research conducted by the project on the current status of distance learning and assessment activities, considering the opinions of the key stakeholders: teachers and students. The second is a benchmark led by A3ES, and the third is a set of guidelines led by ANVUR, both of which provide a framework for monitoring and evaluating distance learning activities in the STEM field.
Among these documents, of particular note are the guidelines for remote assessment in STEM disciplines, which are based on the foundations established by the TeSLA project and are aligned with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). The guidelines are underpinned by the principles of validity, reliability, flexibility and inclusion, and are articulated through 12 standards that comprehensively address institutional policies, transparency and academic integrity. This last aspect cuts across various guidelines, ranging from the definition of institutional policies and codes of conduct to the development of technological tools for evaluation. They also cover the use of fair and varied assessment methods, accessible and robust technological infrastructure, and ongoing training and support for students and teachers.
In the webinar held to disseminate the findings on the 30th of October: Challenges of online assessment in higher education. Experiences and guidelines for improvement, the guidelines were introduced and there was an opportunity to reflect on and discuss how universities and quality agencies should address the new challenges posed by distance learning and assessment in particular.
Future higher education scenarios point towards hybrid learning models, which will also feature personalised, skills-based assessments enhanced by artificial intelligence. The implementation of this methodology offers higher education institutions and quality agencies the chance to enhance distance assessments, while always bearing in mind the principles of quality, fairness, and reliability, particularly in regard to STEM disciplines. The guidelines developed by REMOTE, along with others devised internationally, should provide a clear roadmap for implementing practices that are appropriate to the new landscape in which digital education is becoming a reality.
The REMOTE project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme within the framework of cooperation partnerships in the field of higher education. It is led by the University of Girona, with the participation of AQU Catalunya and five other partners: the International University of Catalonia; the Politecnico di Torino, Italy; the Universidade do Minho, Portugal; the Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema Universitario e della Ricerca, Italy; and the Agencia de Avaliação e Acreditación do Ensino Superior, Portugal.