International Baccalaureate innovation recognised at Bett Awards 2020

World-leading international education provider, the International Baccalaureate (IB), has been recognised for its commitment to innovation in the education technology sector at the Bett Awards 2020. The organization was one of nine finalists in the Innovator of the Year category for its Middle Years Programme (MYP) eAssessment.

The awards, which took place on Wednesday 22 January in London, are an annual celebration of creativity and innovation in education technology and form an essential part of the Bett Show; the world’s leading showcase of education technology.

Paula Wilcock, the IB’s Chief Assessment Officer said: “It is an incredible achievement for the MYP eAssessment to be a finalist for the Innovator of the Year category at the Bett Awards 2020. eAssessment in the MYP has made a significant difference to the experience of assessments for our MYP students and we are continuing to see the positive impact of the innovation on our global learning community”.

The MYP eAssessment was introduced to schools to lead on innovation in the education sector. The on-screen assessment model is designed to focus on scenarios in which students must use knowledge and skills to analyse unfamiliar situations, thus challenging them to think critically to connect what they have learned with what they might learn next, and apply big ideas to solve real-world problems.

Unlike other examinations, 75% of the assessment focuses on inquiry, communication and employing critical thinking skills, while the other 25% focuses on the application of knowledge and understanding in real world contexts.

2019 saw the largest ever cohort of students undertake the eAssessment, with more than 77,800 IB MYP students from around the world sitting the examination sessions; representing an 8% increase on the previous year’s cohort. 819 IB World Schools in 98 countries participated, and students received an average score of 36.54 out of a possible 56 marks.

Wilcock continued: “Being a finalist adds another achievement to a fantastic couple of years for eAssessment, which has seen it recognised by the Teach Secondary Awards, PIEoneer Awards, eAssessment Awards and the ScooNews Global Education Awards. We are thrilled with the recognition eAssessment is receiving from the education community and are committed to continuing to improve the eAssessment experience for students and increase accessibility for our global community of IB World Schools”.