What are some of the advantages of CAA?

Pedagogic advantages:

• Lecturers can monitor the progress of students through more frequent assessments.
  
• Students can monitor their own progress; self-assessment can be promoted.
  
• Detailed, specific feedback is available to students during and immediately after a test.
  
• A wide range of topics within a body of knowledge can be tested very quickly.
  
• Students acquire information technology (IT) skills (CBA only).
  
• More frequent assessment of students is made possible by the automatic marking of scripts.
  
• Potential to introduce graphics and multimedia allows for inclusion of questions not possible with paper assessments. (CBA only)
  
• Quality can be monitored by looking at the facility and discrimination of questions and tests.
  
• Formative assessments can be repeated as frequently as desired to aid student learning.
  
• Adaptive testing can be used to match the test to the student's ability.
  
• Students can be provided with clues and marked accordingly.

Administrative advantages:

• Marking is not prone to human error.
  
• Computerised marking of tests saves staff time.
  
• Large groups can be assessed quickly.
  
• Diagnostic reports and analyses can be generated.
  
• Aids with the transmission and administration of marks which can be automatically entered into information management systems and student records databases.
  
• Can reduce cheating through the randomisation of questions.
  
• Eliminates the need for double marking.