Under the digital strategy of the large Australian university, enhancing data and integration capabilities is a critical pillar of their master plan. To improve operational efficiency, the university identified the need to upgrade their exam management process through modern, scalable, and cloud-native approaches.
eAssessment refers to the use of digital tools and platforms to conduct assessments, replacing or supplementing traditional paper-based methods. It encompasses a wide range of processes, including setting up exam questions, delivering tests, marking, providing feedback, and recording grades. In the initial phase, the university piloted the rollout of Inspera, a digital eAssessment platform, across a limited number of courses.This phased approach allowed for a gradual embedding of Inspera into operations, ensuring robust validation. However, to facilitate a broader, university-wide rollout, it became essential to integrate Inspera with the university’s existing Exam Management system, Databee.
The existing process for centrally managed Inspera exams relied heavily on manual handling of student enrolment data via complex spreadsheets. This system proved unsustainable and error-prone as Inspera scaled beyond 100 courses. The university required an automated integration solution that could ensure accuracy, streamline workflows, and support the broader rollout of Inspera.
To address this challenge, automated data flows were needed to facilitate:
To meet these needs, Intelligent Pathways (IP) proposed a Unified Data & Integration Framework utilising Microsoft Cloud components, forming the core of the universitys Unified Data & Integration Platform (UDIP). The solution aligned with the university’s cloud strategy and provided a scalable, reliable architecture to support the long-term modernization of university’s exam management systems.
The following Microsoft Azure Services were used to build out the UDIP:
Intelligent Pathways collaborated with the university to validate an alternative approach to their integration strategy, ensuring cost and timeline predictability while meeting their strategic needs. The proposed Unified Data & Integration Framework was modern, aligned with their cloud goals, and adaptable to future growth.
This collaborative approach included Proof of Value (PoV) activities designed to ensure architectural and operational concepts could be converted into practical and sustained implementation:
The successful integration of this solution has made “a significant difference” to the delivery of digital learning for university students and teachers. The integrated solution ensures all centrally managed exams automatically have exams, students and supervisors created, and standard routines are operating to check for student updates every 30 minutes, in addition to overnight runs.
Streamlined Assessment Process: By integrating Inspera with Exam Manager (Databee), the project successfully eliminated error-prone manual processes. The integration ensured accuracy in student enrolment data, providing a more reliable, scalable system for managing assessments across the university.
Enhanced Support for Digital Transformation: The integration was a critical step towards the university’s broader digital transformation, allowing the university to adopt more technology-driven assessment processes that benefit both students and staff.
Scalability of eAssessment Platform: The integration will enable further scalability and university wide rollout of Inspera, allowing the platform to handle the majority of courses that are managed by the Exams Management unit. This scalability is crucial for supporting the University’s broader adoption of digital assessments and accommodating future growth.
Risk Mitigation: The automated solution mitigated the risks associated with manual data handling, ensuring continuity, accuracy, and operational sustainability in the long term, without errors or operational bottlenecks.
