OCR exam moderators are for the first time using an e-portfolio system to moderate coursework. In an innovative collaboration between exam board OCR and TAG Learning, pilot schools have submitted work online for OCR’s GCSE ICT course using TAG Learning’s web-based MAPS system. The pupils upload their work – digital documents, presentations, spreadsheets, databases etc – and the teachers can then mark them, tagging them against the coursework mark sheet, then submit the work to a secure area for viewing by OCR – all electronically through the MAPS system.

Once the pupil work is submitted, the OCR moderators simply login to their MAPS moderator’s portfolio, select the school and can then moderate the submitted work – viewing the digital files uploaded by pupils as evidence, plus the teacher’s marks and comments. By making submissions to OCR instantaneous, MAPS reduces both the cost and time for schools to get the portfolios of work to the moderators, reduces the risk of evidence being lost in transit – and as all marks are tallied by the system it also cuts out time-consuming errors.

Following a full evaluation of the pilot, TAG Learning and OCR are planning to offer online coursework submission to all centres that offer OCR’s GCSE ICT course and will then review other curriculum areas.

Pilar Cloud, Managing Director, TAG Learning said: “The system is more secure and quicker than any using printouts and it makes the whole process simpler for everyone involved – from pupil to OCR moderator. One additional benefit is that the e-portfolio provides a medium for out-of-school-hours mentoring between pupil and teacher.”

Patrick Craven, Assistant Director of E-Assessment, OCR said: “This represents a significant first step towards OCR offering online coursework submission for many subjects at many levels. We look forward to working with TAG Learning in 2004/5 to trial their system as well as rolling out the GCSE ICT online system nationally.”