Abstract :
This case study outlines the events of a recent summative computer-aided
assessment (CAA) failure involving 280 first-year undergraduate students.
Post-test analysis found that the central server had become unexpectedly
overloaded, thereby causing the CAA to be abandoned. Practical advice on just
what to do in the event of a summative CAA failure is virtually non-existent in
the related literature. In response, this paper provides a detailed account of the
post-failure analysis and recovery activities from a practitioner’s (ie, academic)
viewpoint. Supported by empirical evidence, the research shows how the
concept of “optional substitution” was developed as a pragmatic, equitable, and
broadly acceptable solution to the problem.
