INHOLLAND is a network of universities in The Netherlands that offers students an education in a diverse array of subjects, including economics, health care, art, pedagogy, and sociology. Currently, there are 40,000 INHOLLAND students.
INHOLLAND instructors were spending too much time and effort typing and grading written exams. Often, students did not completely fill in answers to test questions, creating numerous errors. As a result, teachers had to enter students' answers manually, and re-grade the tests.
INHOLLAND's teachers recognised they needed a solution that could accurately grade a large number of exam papers while minimising errors. The teachers also wanted to analyse exam results to improve the quality and effectiveness of the tests. For example, if a majority of students consistently answered a certain question incorrectly, they could conclude that the question itself was at fault.
INHOLLAND used IBM SPSS Data Collection*, SPSS Inc.'s market research software suite, to process and analyse exams. Teachers used IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper* to create a question database from which they selected exam questions. They then used IBM SPSS Data Collection Scan* to record the results, which were then compiled and analysed in order to develop better tests.
With our previous software, the answers that were not completely and clearly entered had to be corrected manually. With Data Collection, human error is no longer a factor. In addition, our teachers no longer have to type the tests, which saves them a lot of work and frustration.
Marc Scheunhage
ICT Project Manager
INHOLLAND Diemen
INHOLLAND was formed on January 1, 2003, through a merger between five universities. It has branches in Alkmaar, Delft, The Hague, Diemen, Haarlem, and Rotterdam. More than a quarter of its students attend the Diemen campus.
Like most schools, INHOLLAND Diemen uses exams to assess its students’ mastery of course content. A typical computer-based exam in the Health and Welfare department of INHOLLAND Diemen requires students to fill in the circle that corresponded to the correct answer. Often, though, students wouldn't fill in the circle completely, and the computer would mark the answer as incorrect. Teachers reviewing the test would then have to complete the answers manually before re-grading the paper.
The time spent correcting exams kept the teachers from other activities – such as preparing lessons – and they were also unable to draw conclusions about, for example, student’s overall performance or identify frequently missed questions. . "Our teachers were spending more time grading exams than actually teaching the material," says Marc Scheunhage, ICT Project Manager at INHOLLAND Diemen.
In order to reduce the time and effort spent processing tests, INHOLLAND realised it needed software that could write exams and grade them electronically. Mr Scheunhage selected a solution comprising IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper and IBM SPSS Data Collection Scan. IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper eliminated the manual process of setting up the exams, while IBM SPSS Data Collection Scan made it possible to grade tests using scanning technology instead of manual IBM SPSS Data Collection Data Entry.
With IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper and IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper, teachers now spend far less time correcting errors and grading exams. As well as saving time, the software enables teachers to gain important insights into the exams – for example, identifying frequently missed questions and trends in student performance – allowing them to use this information to develop better exams.
"With our previous software, the answers that were not completely and clearly entered had to be corrected manually. With Data Collection, human error is no longer a factor. In addition, our teachers no longer have to type the tests, which saves them a lot of work and frustration," says Scheunhage.
Using IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper, Scheunhage has compiled a database of questions. This allows teachers to access questions used for previous exams. In the future, a centralised office for grading exams from multiple departments or universities, known as a ‘scanning bureau’, could be established to use the software to meet a wider range of educational needs.
"A question database such as the one we've created might be used to compile all kinds of data on student performance, making evaluations of exams more accurate and meaningful," Scheunhage remarks. The new version of IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper, which is compatible with Microsoft® Windows® XP, has made the testing system available for all students at INHOLLAND.
"Other disciplines can also benefit from the use of Data Collection. The speed and accuracy of the system, the preparation of a question database, and other advantages make it a valuable tool for any educational institution," he says
As part of the school's mission, INHOLLAND expects that its employees are ambitious, and have an open, market‑oriented attitude, and are focused on discovering and realising opportunities. “In principle, we answer a request from society with 'yes'," Scheunhage says.
By leveraging Data Collection, INHOLLAND has said, ’yes’ to significantly improving its testing system. Professors spend less time on paperwork and more time working with students to educate and prepare them for exams, satisfying yet another part of the school's mission, which is to ensure that its students can develop their talents to the full.
Interested in automating exam preparation and analysis? Download the INHOLLAND PDF here.
* IBM SPSS Data Collection, IBM SPSS Data Collection Paper, and IBM SPSS Data Collection Scan formerly called Dimensions™, mrPaper™, and mrScan™, are part of SPSS Inc.’s Predictive Analytics Software portfolio.
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