The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has been named a finalist in the esteemed International e-Assessment Awards for its pioneering technological advancements in assessment. These awards, renowned for acknowledging practices with a significant societal impact in the education sector, have recognised ACER’s exceptional work in the category of ‘Best International Implementation’ for the year 2024. The winners of these highly anticipated awards will be announced in June.
ACER’s prestigious nomination is a result of significant enhancements to its software system, Maple, which plays a crucial role in facilitating the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2025, one of the world’s largest and most influential educational evaluations. ACER is the lead international organization responsible for the design, development, and implementation of PISA 2025, as well as the management of the assessment platform and data.
The ACER Maple software has proved to be instrumental for participating countries in PISA 2025, as it efficiently collects and analyses meaningful data on the application of scientific, reading, and mathematical knowledge and skills by 15-year-old students in real-life situations. The findings from PISA assessments, conducted triennially, often serve as a guiding force for countries’ education policies as they draw insights from successful strategies employed by others.
The comprehensive redevelopment of Maple took into consideration the challenges associated with the scale and logistics of PISA assessments. ACER focused on ensuring trust in the data obtained from diverse countries without compromising comparability. The magnitude of the task was evident in the numbers from PISA 2022, which involved over 690,000 participants from 81 countries and jurisdictions, representing a staggering 29 million students. The upcoming 2025 assessment will see participation from over 90 countries.
The evolution of Maple for global application involved the automation and streamlining of complex processes, rendering data collection and processing more efficient, while maintaining consistency and accuracy across different regions. The redevelopment also introduced several new features, including a configurable sampling algorithm, automation of sorting and validation processes, multilingual and right-to-left text support, and various deployment and storage options to comply with regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions.
ACER’s responsiveness to user feedback during the redevelopment phase led to significant enhancements, such as a substantial reduction in the number of clicks required to sample participants. Additionally, the implementation was accompanied by extensive support measures, including training resources, a comprehensive manual, and round-the-clock assistance through a dedicated support desk.
The recognition of ACER’s Maple software in the International e-Assessment Awards serves as a testament to ACER’s dedication to leveraging technology to enhance assessments of knowledge, skills, and capabilities. The organisation remains committed to transforming learning systems with the aim of ensuring success for all individuals. ACER extends its congratulations to the other finalists of the e-Assessment Awards for 2024.
For more information about ACER’s innovation in assessment, explore ACER Signum, PAT Adaptive, and the PAT Data Explorer, all of which have been acknowledged in the 2022 International e-Assessment Awards.