An inaugural online mathematics test was held by MDIS Tashkent from 25 – 28 July to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, and educational needs of students. The 60 minutes online assessment comprised a set of 50 questions and was participated by a hundred students, all seated in a hall. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction for every question, the test instantly provided an overall score that enabled the results to be validated by the system.

What attracts people to online quizzes instead of written quizzes?

We are part of a world made up of mathematics; there is something mathematical about our universe. Everybody can compete equally in math. It uses the ‘same language’ worldwide and there is no cultural or national boundaries. Online quizzes better engage participants in a unique and fun way, acquiring unique insights into participants’ thought processes.

The careful yet randomised selection of questions were jointly developed by MDIS College and the E-Learning Team (ELD) from the MDIS School of Technology in Singapore. The ELD team worked long hours to launch the project in a secured environment, taking into consideration the time difference between Tashkent and Singapore. Each student was given a unique username but a common password to log on.

The ELD team used a random blocks approach to design exam questions so that each participant is shown the same set of questions but in random order, ensuring that the test was fair. Students could skip difficult questions and return to those later with just the click of a button. They would also receive a reminder not to leave any question unanswered. Upon clicking the ‘Save and Submit’ tab, they would be automatically logged out, with their results displayed on the screen.

What made this online test such a huge success?

Each member of the MDIS Tashkent team was able to communicate with the group for project updates. Everyone understood what their role was and how best to contribute to the team’s success. The shared mission helped both teams in Tashkent and Singapore work together and tirelessly through the night due to the time difference.

Both teams willingly shared their resources, knowledge and expertise with each other. The teams were open about their processes and spent hours brainstorming efficient ways to do things. There were also always receptive to new ideas. Brainstorming and training sessions were held by the Dean of MDIS Tashkent and the Academic Affairs Director of Tashkent two days before the online mathematics test. All Tashkent invigilators were encouraged to draw on the contributions of others. There was live streaming of the test on the local news, regular security checks done on the students, and members of the community were even invited to sit in on the examination. All these helped project transparency.

The resounding success of the 3-day online mathematics test was a testament to the synergetic efforts and sheer commitment of the team members from both institutes.