Implementing electronic management of assessment: four key barriers faced by higher education providers moving to online submission and feedback

Adoption of online submission and feedback for formative and summative assessment is increasing significantly across the higher education sector. The majority of institutions in the UK have now identified themselves as moving away from pocketed, disparate use towards embedding institution-wide online assessment practices. Providers are driven by a range of benefits for staff, students and the broader institution. Research has started to explore the impact of change but there has been very little sector-wide analysis exploring the challenges faced by institutions moving to adopt online submission and feedback. This paper adopts a qualitative approach to explore barriers faced by providers that have the potential to prevent, delay or limit the benefits to be derived for institutions currently approaching or undertaking change. It outlines the results of an extensive literature review, which highlights four key challenges surrounding change design, stakeholder management, policy and process as well as technical integration. This article argues that providers intending to implement institution-wide change in the future should be cognisant of these barriers, and those currently undertaking change should be cognisant of the experience of others to inform their own good practice, policy and pedagogy.