Students' and Instructors' Perspectives regarding E-Assessment: A Case Study in Introductory Digital Systems

Abstract

Higher education institutions are increasingly offering opportunities for online learning, yet the issues of identifying students and verifying the authorship of their work limit the adoption of online assessment. Furthermore, little is known about the instructors' and students' background and confidence in e-assessment. This study analyzes students' and instructors' experiences, trust, and expectations regarding the use of an e-authentication system for e-assessment purposes. A total of 154 students and 12 instructors were surveyed, and two group interviews conducted, within the context of a pilot for a European project. The pilot consisted of testing several security mechanisms through diverse e-assessment activities in an online university course in digital systems. The results showed that participants had little experience with courses where all assessments were conducted online. Negative expectations of e-assessment (i.e., workload and time overload) were dispelled while ideas about the expected benefits were realized (i.e., flexibility, mobility and comfort). Attitudes toward e-assessment remained positive despite the technical difficulties that arose during the pilot. The use of security mechanisms was perceived as beneficial and opened up new opportunities for innovative practices in e-assessment but caused some mistrust or sense of invasiveness among participants. This study contributes to advancing the field of technology-enhancedassessment and understanding students' and instructors' perspectives on that matter.