The Impact Of Online Assessment On The Educational Sector

The Impact Of Online Assessment On The Educational Sector
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Summary: Technology, today, has revolutionized many sectors. The schools are also accepting a new system as the education sector prefers to keep pace with time. In other words, the traditional assessment process is being replaced by the latest trend: the online assessment.

Some Significant Effects Of Online Assessment On The Educational Sector

Online assessment is a significant technological advancement that should be involved in the education system. Conducting tests nowadays should not be stressful as technology has revolutionized the whole education system. Conducting assessments online has become easier today as there is no requirement of using the paper-and-pencil option. Exams are conducted on a computer which ultimately saves not only time but also the most important product, that is paper. These are the reasons why this online method is accepted by every educational institute which has computers and an internet connection available.

The Importance Of Quality Assessment To The Education System

Assessments are the most significant part of the education system as it gives an accurate picture to the students of where they stand. It acts as a catalyst and positive reinforcement to learners by encouraging them to perform better. Therefore, quality assessment is very important as it focuses on a targeted area with complete precision. In order for an assessment to be stated as a quality one, it must present the following characteristics:

  • The content should be simple, clear and easy for candidates to understand. It should always comply with the syllabus and the specific topic taught.
  • The test should have a measurable outcome; i.e. there should not be any flaws as regards the content. Moreover, it should be 100% accurate.
  • The test should grasp students' interest, and that is mainly the reason why the test should be objective at all times. It should be creative and, of course, not boring for the students.

Why Do Students Find It Useful To Conduct Assessments Online?

The impact of technology on the education sector is undoubtedly beneficial. First and foremost, teaching and, in consequence, evaluating students are two actions which should not be limited within the walls of a classroom but they can be both performed anytime, anywhere with the aid of computers and the internet.

It’s not surprising that the industries are gradually moving from using the traditional assessment methods to using more practical ones which are almost always towards technological solutions. These practical methods not only benefit the institutions but also students as they choose to make full use of this method right from the start when they select courses to the final stage, that of the assessment.

Research has also proven that most students are interested in going through an online assessment rather than a paper-and-pencil one. Moreover, the students are delighted when they get their results and feedback automatically immediately after the test. But still, to be fair, there is some confusion deriving form students' responses which show that even if some may prefer online testing, there are still some others who like the paper-and-pencil mode more. So, there is still a need to figure out how reliable it would be if we should incorporate online methods in teaching and evaluating, according to students' perspective.

Prompt Result After An Examination Relieves Students' Anxiety

It has been noticed that students experience stress and anxiety after the examination while waiting for the result. But with the online examination, this is not the case as the results are being immediately distributed, which relieves students' stress and anxiety.

Instant Feedback Supports The Formative Assessment Method

Feedback is more effective for a student or for an individual when it is given immediately after their task is complete. This not only helps the student to analyze their performance level but helps them to take better steps to the optimization of the result. The student can strategize their study plan and put more effort into a particular topic. Also, an individual is able to know beforehand which topic they should be more focused on, as well. And this is the so-called principle of the formative assessment.

Conducting An Examination Anytime, Anywhere Is Beneficial To The Students

Scheduling an examination is important. Nowadays, no matter where you are, the time and the place are not barriers since conducting or participating in an online exam has eliminated all these restrictions. You can take an exam either from your phone or your tablet.

Fun And Interactive

Students find it attractive when there are multimedia incorporated, such as videos or recordings, in the examination as they highly engage students in both learning and assessment. Visual and auditory learners are more focused on content that supports multimedia than content which is presented in plain text and long sentences.

Taking Exams In A Comfortable Environment Is Key

The classroom is not always designed to facilitate learning in a comfortable way, therefore taking exams in a classroom is not the best option oftentimes. There may be great obstacles to be met during an examination process, such as hard chairs, harsh light, and students being sited too close to one another. The noisy environment of the classroom takes the focus away, distracting students who are never able to concentrate on their task as their creativity and their flow are often interrupted.

Beneficial To Students With Special Needs

People with special needs can also experience the benefit of taking tests and being assessed online. Useful methods have been developed; for example, students can simply touch the screen for the answer instead of writing it. Speech to text is also another great option and a great solution to people facing difficulties in essay writing.

Conclusion

With tremendous changes in the educational sector, the use of online assessment has become more popular and widely adopted. But in the end, it totally depends on you to decide what kind of assessment you want to opt for; be it an online or a paper-and-pencil one.

eBook Release: EOA - Online Test Platform
EOA - Online Test Platform
EOA is online examination software that helps the universities and institutions to conduct the competitive exams easily. The software can use for the registration of students as well as creating the exam paper.