Online Assessment in University STEM Education in Scotland with STACK

This was a day of practical workshops and planning meetings to develop plans and concrete activities to generate impact from the STACK online assessment system primarily in Scotland.

Date: 30th April 2026.
Venue: Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland

This open session was intended to:

• Share recent developments in STACK, open materials, and tools for collaboration
• Explore how online assessment can support STEM education in Scottish universities
• Provide a practical introduction to authoring STACK questions (for new or prospective users)
• Build a collaborative network across institutions interested in scalable, research-informed assessment

Timetable:

13:15-13:45 STACK: History and New Directions
13:45-15:00 Hands-on Authoring Workshop
15:00-15:30 Coffee
15:30-16:30 Scaling Quality Assessment in Scotland: Discussion Groups

The event was attended by colleagues in university mathematics, physics, engineering and related disciplines who are interested in:

• Online or blended assessment
• Scaling high-quality mathematical feedback
• Open educational resource development
• Cross-institutional collaboration in STEM education

Executive Summary

The STACK workshop brought together colleagues from across Scotland to share their experiences and explore how we can work more closely to support STEM students through digital assessment. Our conversations moved beyond technical "how-to" sessions toward a shared vision of assessment as a progression tool that supports learning at every stage—from foundational bridging modules to advanced honours courses. By pooling our collective expertise and resources, particularly within the Maxwell Institute, we aim to build a sustainable network that reduces individual workload while addressing shared challenges like academic integrity, resource equity, and the transition from legacy systems.

Main Discussion Themes

Theme 1: Operations and Scaling

Our initial discussions focused on the structural and logistical shifts required to move automated assessment from localized course pilots to high-stakes, institution-wide delivery. Colleagues explored the evolving nature of exam environments, questioning whether traditional, resource-intensive models of physical invigilation remain necessary or if secure, closed-browser technologies can offer more flexible alternatives. The conversation also highlighted the significant infrastructure and room capacity challenges faced when scaling up to large student cohorts, alongside the essential need to address technological disparities across global campuses to ensure standardisation and fairness for all learners.

Theme 2: Pedagogy and Coursework Design

The dialogue then turned to how we structure routine coursework to foster genuine engagement rather than introducing repetitive task burdens. Participants discussed the potential of structured mastery-learning frameworks, exploring how formative practice pathways and robust feedback loops can be intentionally designed to guide students toward summative readiness. There is a strong collective interest in expanding these digital platforms beyond early-year calculation tasks into more advanced, proof-based, and applied settings. At the same time, colleagues emphasized the importance of carefully balancing the volume of automated feedback to avoid overwhelming students within any single course.

Theme 3: The Foundation Bridge and Student Support

We also addressed the critical transition period for incoming students, looking at how digital tools can support learners arriving with highly varied educational backgrounds. The consensus centered on using early diagnostic testing not merely as an evaluation, but as a mechanism to create personalized, adaptive learning pathways that target specific knowledge gaps before teaching begins. To counteract the common drop in engagement seen in self-paced preparatory modules, the group discussed integrating structured timetabling, proactive tutoring contact, and elements of gamification to help students maintain momentum and self-motivation.

Theme 4: Sharing Materials and STEM Equity

The final theme centered on building a collaborative, cross-institutional ecosystem to support STEM education across the wider Scottish sector. There is a clear appetite for a centralized, peer-reviewed question repository that allows departments to share resources, provided the community establishes clear mechanisms for quality control and explicit guidance on copyright and licensing. Colleagues highlighted several ongoing national outreach initiatives already utilizing these platforms to widen participation and create alternative entry pathways. However, a key systemic challenge remains ensuring that all students across the country have equal access to the necessary digital platforms and high-spec equipment.