Reflections of online assessment between BEng programmes at the dawn of digitalization - A case study of online assessment of mathematics programmes in two partner institutions

Abstract

Some students think that online assessment is not a true reflection of their work effort. This paper reports on a collaborative international project within two higher education institutions to research issues of student perception of effort in online assessment. The students participated in completion of questionnaires and a sample was selected to participate in focus group discussion. Evidence from the data suggests that students, have preconceived ideas about assessment, may be uncomfortable with new forms of assessment, and are unsure about how they should interact with online assessment systems. The research indicates that perceptions of effort and reward as seen by students is at variance with those held by teachers. The study offers a brief insight into the thinking of students at first year of study in engineering. It may be suggested that alternative approaches to curriculum and pedagogical design are necessary to alleviate student concerns