Assessment online: New horizons and blue skies

The use of the WWW in tertiary learning environments offers greater adaptability and flexibility than traditional assessment procedures as it enables the planning and design of tasks that monitor both learning processes and learning outcomes. This paper proposes that the move towards alternative assessment paradigms has been accelerated by technology with its capacity to offer learners a broad array of activities, tasks and forums for engaging in constructivist learning. It is anticipated that the benefits of online assessment will far outweigh its drawbacks and become accepted practice for both online and offline learners.