Numbas as an engagement tool for first-year Business Studies students

Abstract

In this paper we report on the implementation of e-assessment in mathematics with a large cohort of Business Studies students in their first year at Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland. The assessment tool used was Numbas, a freely available e-assessment tool for mathematics developed at Newcastle University. The main motivation in introducing Numbas for this course was to increase attendance and engagement at tutorials but also to make regular assessments with feedback a practical possibility for large groups. In this paper we discuss the effect the introduction of Numbas had on student engagement, in particular on student participation, attendance, and on the student experience.