EduZinc: a tool for the creation and assessment of student learning activities in complex open, online, and flexible learning environments

• Published in: Distance education Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 86 - 105
• Main Authors: Becerra-Alonso, David, Lopez-Cobo, Isabel, Gómez-Rey, Pilar, Fernández-Navarro, Francisco, Barbera, Elena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne Routledge 02.01.2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic grading; automatic grading tool; College Faculty; College Students; Computer Software; content creation; Data Collection; Distance learning; Educational evaluation; Educational Technology; Evaluation Methods; Feedback (Response); Foreign Countries; Grades (Scholastic); Grading; Information Management; Instructional Materials; Learning Activities; self-learning techniques; Student Centered Learning; Student Role; student-centred learning; Teacher Role; Technology Uses in Education; Tutoring; Spain
• ISSN: 0158-7919; 1475-0198
• DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2020.1724769

This article describes the development of an application for the grading and provision of feedback on educational processes. The too, named EduZinc, enables instructors to go through the complete process of creating and evaluating the activities and materials of a course. The application enables for the simultaneous management of two teaching-related aspects: (a) creation of individualized learning products (activities, tests and exams) and (b) automatic grading (for every learning product; automated creation of student, class, and competency-based reports; and delivery of personalized reports to students, instructors and tutors). The system also has a series of warnings in place to notify instructors and tutors when a student is falling behind. As a means to reward the efforts made during the course, the program keeps relevant statistics, notifying when a student is excelling in the course.