Integrating on-line assessment with class-based teaching and Learning: a preliminary study of the AiM Marking System

This paper reports on the development and implementation of an on-line assessment system (AiM), introduced to mathematics courses at the University of York. Assessment in Mathematics (AiM) is open-source, using the Maple symbolic mathematics program, giving it a built-in understanding of mathematics. The program includes a facility to randomise questions for different users, detect correct answers given in unusual forms, log individual student performance and provide intelligently tailored feedback. AiM therefore addresses many of the restrictions of established assessment tools, notably their inflexibility in terms of the range of questions that can be asked and the types of answers that may be submitted and processed. We report on the implementation of this system during the first two terms of the 2003-04 academic year, focusing on the introduction of on-line assessment methods within traditional taught courses delivered on campus. We consider how the flexibility of AiM and its support to individual learning may transform pedagogical practice, challenging the prevailing culture of instruction.