Reshaping the exam experience: Insights from Birmingham City University's hybrid assessment model

This session was recorded at bett 2024 and features Tim Burnett, e-Assessment Association Board Member, Tom Ashmore, Digital Assessment Designer at Birmingham City University⁠⁠ and Elliot Spence, Senior Digital Assessment Coordinator - Birmingham City University.

This case study demonstrates how Birmingham City University (BCU) modernised the testing experience for students. The Covid-19 pandemic made educational institutions across the world re-evaluate their assessment methodologies. Among them, Birmingham City University, whose hybrid digital assessment project won multiple awards including the Best Transformational Project Award and the Team and Practitioner Awards in the eAA's 2023 International e-Assessment Awards.

The team behind it, from BCU's Digital Assessment Centre Team, discuss how and why they created their hybrid model. With an emphasis on student choice, the model allows candidates to take their exams either on campus or remotely, concurrently. By using the same digital assessment software across both settings, the university has successfully increased student engagement and satisfaction while enhancing the assessment process. This improved student experience provides a compelling case study for the benefits of modernising the assessment experience for educational institutions globally.