title: Making a mark--taking assessment to technology.
abstract: During any course of study, students are assessed usually through a range of methods which may include written examinations, coursework assignments, professional practice, oral tests and practical examinations. This article considers the various forms of assessment in dental education and how information and communication technology is being applied to them. As innovative teaching and learning methods such as computer simulations are introduced, the assessment of results, successes and failures is taking on new forms in many traditional courses. The web is also spreading its tentacles into assessment, with the benefits of offering almost instant feedback and support. However, technology brings its own problems, not least by making ever more ingenious methods of plagiarism easier. Educational establishments, therefore, must be aware of such problems and have policies in place to counteract them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Professional Studies, School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London/Senior Research Fellow, King's College London Dental Institute, London.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schleyer
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006113:United Kingdom