CIEA Educational Assessment Outcomes Award

Mission Margdarshan is a programme that helps school students understand themselves better, how they learn, what they enjoy, what they are good at, and which careers might suit them in the future. Many students do not get personalised guidance, and teachers often do not have detailed information about each child. This programme fills that gap using simple, digital assessments. The assessment looks at four things: 1. Abilities – things the student is naturally strong at 2. Interests – what they enjoy and feel curious about 3. Personality – how they think, behave, and respond to situations 4. Learning skills and habits – how they study, manage time, prepare for exams, stay motivated, handle stress, and take care of themselves Based on this information, each student receives an easy-to-understand report with personalised career suggestions and tips for improving their learning habits. Teachers and counsellors are trained to use these insights to support students better. In simple terms, Mission Margdarshan gives every student a clear picture of who they are as learners and individuals, and it helps teachers guide them more effectively.

This project is about helping students feel confident when taking Ontario’s online math assessments. These digital assessments, created by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), are written by all students in Grades 3, 6, and 9. Because online testing is still relatively new, many students struggle not with the math itself, but with rushing, uncertainty, or not showing their full thinking. To address this, EQAO and the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) joined forces to make online assessment feel familiar and approachable. A major part of the project involved teacher training. EQAO led professional learning sessions to help teachers understand the assessment format, the kinds of questions students would see. They also demonstrated how the data collected could be used to support student learning. UCDSB paired this with fun, everyday classroom activities for students. The board organized virtual math game shows, scavenger hunts, and weekly practice questions that encouraged students to slow down, write out their thinking, and check their work before clicking an answer. Over three years, students became more confident with digital assessments, and their math results improved noticeably.