Are there quality assurance issues?
Yes. Security is probably the biggest problem. Over the years, current systems of assessment have developed fairly robust (if not perfect) distribution and delivery systems. E-assessment has not yet developed similarly robust systems. So there are concerns about the storage and delivery of online assessments. Authentication is another problem. Authentication means proving that the person who sat the assessment is the person they claim to be. While this can be easily overcome in face-to-face assessment (by invigilation), it makes it difficult to conduct remote online assessment. There have been cases of poor authentication procedures which have damaged the reputation of e-assessment. Plagiarism has always existed but its more acute with e-assessment because the medium makes it easier to cut-and-paste material from various digital sources and pass it off as your own.
