Assessing medical students' perception and educational experience during COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the traditional delivery of medical education. Medical education programmes have had to cope with limitations on face-to-face learning, and accelerate the adoption of digital learning. In addition, the pandemic has potential serious implications on the psychological well-being of medical students. We aim to assess the changes in perceptions and experiences of medical students as a consequence of this pandemic. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of medical students at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) between March and April 2022 was performed. The survey explored student satisfaction with the current education program, teaching delivery and the impact of COVID-19 on education and student well-being. RESULTS: 175 medical students participated in the survey. Overall, the majority of students were happy/neutral with their medical education. 93 (53.1%) felt tutorials and problem-based learning (PBL) to be the most effective method of teaching, followed by laboratory and clinical placements in 78 participants (44.6%) and hybrid-learning in 85 participants (48.6%). There was a mixed reaction to the changes in the delivery of education brought about by the pandemic. 67 participants (40.6%) felt happy with the changes, another 64 participants (38.8%) felt neutral, whilst only 34 participants (20.6%) were unhappy. However, most participants felt the pandemic negatively impacted their mental health, with 96 participants (55.8%) reporting negative responses. 58% of participants (n = 102/175) reported utilising the student support services at university campus and 49% (n = 50) were satisfied with their services. CONCLUSION: Digital content and delivery confer the benefit of greater flexibility in learning, the ability to learn at one's own pace and in a preferred environment, however lacks the advantage of bedside teaching and hands-on training. Our findings reinforce the potential advantages of online learning.

Shifting From Onsite to Online Summative Assessment at the University of South Africa

The discourse around online summative assessment has become one of the major issues in open distance learning (ODL) worldwide. There is a lack of major research in online summative assessment in environmental education (EE) module for the bachelor of education (B.Ed.) students in ODL. The purpose of this study was to explore online summative assessment of EE module for the B.Ed. students at the University of South Africa (UNISA) during COVID-19. This study employed a qualitative approach, purposive sampling, and an interpretive paradigm. Data were ethically collected using participant observation and documentation. It was thematically analysed. Online summative assessment policies were in place before the outbreak of COVID-19, but policies were not implemented. The university quickly transitioned from face-to-face to online summative assessment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and lecturers were trained. Challenges included non-training of students for online summative assessment, corrupt answer books, lack of prompt response from ICT specialist, and connectivity problems.

Assessment in mathematics: a study on teachers' practices in times of pandemic.

Lockdowns imposed by many countries on their populations at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis forced teachers to adapt quickly and without adequate preparation to distance teaching. In this paper, we focus on one of the most formidable challenges that teachers faced during the lockdowns and even in the post-lockdown emergency period, namely, developing assessment that maintains the pedagogical continuity that educational institutions typically require. Based on the results of a previous study, focused on the analysis of answers to an open-ended questionnaire administered to a population of 700 teachers from France, Germany, Israel and Italy, a semi-structured interview series was designed and implemented by the authors of this paper with a small group of teachers. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed according to the interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology, with the aim of investigating teachers' own perspectives on the following: (a) the difficulties with which they had to contend, with respect to the question of assessment; (b) the techniques adopted to deal with these difficulties; and (c) the ways in which the lockdown experience could affect the future evolution of teachers' assessment practices. This analysis supported us in formulating hypotheses concerning the possible long-term effects of lockdown on modes of assessment in mathematics.

Imagineering Anatomy Assessment Amidst COVID-19: Turning Obstacles into Achievements

A well-designed assessment has beneficial impacts on students' learning and competency attainment. Failure in obtaining psychomotor learning competency, lack of understanding of assessment principles among instructors, unoptimized information and technology facilities, and difficulties in ensuring the integrity of online examination are among the threats to validity of online anatomy assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the validity of anatomy assessment during the pandemic, it is important to adopt several educational principles into the assessment design. We solidify the input discussed in the Malaysian Anatomical Association webinar 2021, on the challenges of anatomy online assessment and proposed six solutions to the challenges, namely adopting the programmatic assessment design, conducting small group in-person high stake examination, modifying assessment policy, utilizing question bank software, upgrading ICT facilities, and offering the ICT training to the students and instructors. It is envisioned that anatomy assessment are future ready are adaptive to change. © 2022 UPM Press. All rights reserved.

A Phenomenological Study of Online Assessment Perceptions of Macao Higher Learning Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Online assessment is the key issue of studying online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Often, online assessments are understood as the mirror to face-to-face learning assessments. In fact, online assessment should start from the premise that all interactive learning strategies are assessment strategies, and as such should be considered for their value in measuring the experiences of students and instructors. This study used the phenomenological method of qualitative research through in-depth interviews with 14 college students and 6 instructors. Based on this, it explored the perception of online assessment in Macao higher learning institutions from the complementary perspectives of college students and instructors, and constructed a theoretical model. The main research findings are that after the assessment shifted from offline to online, some new features appeared, and corresponding changes in form and function occurred. Formally, online assessment is manifested as single subjectivity and flexible diversity, which leads to the assessment dilemma of lack of constructive alignment. At the same time, the functions of assessment have also been extended and even alienated. So the effect of online assessment is not satisfactory. The recommendations for the development of the technological environment and the changes of formative and summative assessment are also discussed in this paper. In terms of the technological environment, efforts need to be made to provide more authentic online learning experiences with synchronous feedback and flexible interaction. In order to help develop a holistic person with online learning, which is the ultimate goal of learning, corresponding criterion-referenced assessment and functions of assessment should be improved accordingly to promote student learning while considering students' recognition and facilitate the co-construction of knowledge between instructors and students. In addition, future research can focus on the development of the readiness of assessment technology, as well as the form and purpose of assessment. Overall, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of online learning and assessment from the dual perspectives of instructors and students, which could help further studies in this field. © 2022 ACM.

Digital formats of learning outcomes assessment in the COVID-19 Paradigm: Survey study

The global pandemic and emergency digitization measures have introduced systemic challenges to the university summative and formative assessment workflow. Various modes of assessment for University-level programs are a strict regimen that consists of different elements and stages (oral, hybrid, and written exams, tests of different types, project presentations, internal and external review, expert evaluation, and peering). This study aims to critically analyze the practices of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in various forms and modes of digital assessment for stakeholders of Liberal Arts, Education, and Computer Science major programs, implemented in the years 2020-2021 through quarantine induced digital learning. The survey analysis was conducted to evaluate ICT tools and digital competencies that are implemented to compare and contrast traditional and formative assessment practices, translated into the digital hybrid format. The investigation novelty is attained through systemic empirical findings on experiences and techniques of learning outcomes assessment in the emergency digitization measures, contrastive assessment of different modes in digital learning, evaluation of ICT tools and skills, implemented through different forms of assessment in the digital learning context. © 2021 ACM.

Transforming assessment in accounting education to align with online learning

Purpose The aim of this paper is to provide insights into challenges and opportunities in transforming assessment of learning in accounting education from established practices to technology-based methods. 10;10;Design/methodology/approach This reflective commentary is based on personal reflections and experiences of three senior academics from the same university on the accelerated utilisation of online assessment in accounting education due to COVID-19. Further information was obtained from document analysis, informal conversations with colleagues and observations. Findings The findings of this paper suggest that despite numerous challenges, online assessments may replace traditional face-to-face assessments such as tests and exams in accounting and if done properly, this could drive significant improvements in student learning and outcomes. Institutions need to invest in appropriate technology, provide appropriate staff training and ensure good online assessment design that incorporates principles of authenticity and fairness. Robust online assessment practices need to be integrated with e-proctoring systems to ensure academic integrity is upheld. Practical implications The paper provides functional insights to higher education management, teaching staff and other stakeholders such as professional accreditation bodies on challenges and opportunities in utilising online assessments. It offers guidance to educators on transforming assessment of learning using the power of technology. Originality/value The ideas in this paper are original. The paper shares our lived experiences in transforming established assessment practices in accounting courses to align with online teaching and learning due to COVID-19.

Final-year medical student Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine synchronous summative tele-assessments during a COVID-19 Delta-variant stay-at-home lockdown.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the planning, process and evaluation of final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine summative assessments in a four-year graduate medical degree program, during a COVID-19 Delta-variant public health stay-at-home lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: We conducted separate written and clinical synchronous (real-time simultaneous) tele-assessments. We used online assessment technology with students, examiners and simulated patients, all in different physical locations. Medical students' examination performance showed a good range. This was comparable to other discipline stations, and performance in previous years. There was no differential performance of students through the day of the assessments.

Real-Time Summative Assessment - A Case Study of Computer Science Course in Engineering Education for Agronomy

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic community around the world finds itself compelled to follow the voice of distance learning. There is a variety of tools that have been used by the teaching staff to monitor distance learning activities. The expected goal of using these solutions is a web-based simulation of face-to-face learning, to ensure knowledge transfer. However, evaluation is an essential step in the learning process for student achievement. A web-based alternative to in-classroom, real-time assessments, is therefore a necessity in the current context. This article is a contribution which adds to the published research in the field of online-assessment related to higher education, in particular for the case of computer literacy for engineering students in agronomy. This is done at the example of a summative assessment carried out in a large enrollment lecture course taught at Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, Morocco. The level taught is the 2nd year of the preparatory cycle. In conclusion the author of this article shows, through a case study approach, how to maintain the integrity of the tertiary education system offered in the current context which is at 100% online. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Applying Assessment Principles during Emergency Remote Teaching: Challenges and Considerations

One of the main challenges higher educational institutions encounter amid the recent COVID-19 crisis is transferring assessment approaches from the traditional face-to-face form to the online Emergency Remote Teaching approach. A set of language assessment principles, practicality, reliability, validity, authenticity, and washback, which can be applied to any academic subject, are critical within the design of any task that aims to assess learning. This review paper discusses how assessment approaches need to be modified in a time of crisis. It determines the position assessment should adopt within emergency remote teaching methods and analyzes the fundamental characteristics of five principles of assessment and how they can be accomplished with emergency remote teaching approaches. Furthermore, this paper evaluates the vulnerability and viability of the five assessment principles, examines the application of online assessment on a holistic level, and puts forward a set of recommendations to ensure the assessment principles are achieved within emergency remote learning contexts. The paper concludes with the notion that the construct of time, which is inherent within the principle of practicality, is the most significant when developing online assessments as it is this characteristic that is the most at risk. In addition, we suggest that the assessments that are implemented during emergency remote learning involve open-ended, as opposed to close-ended, questions and highlight the importance of educators demonstrating flexibility and understanding toward their students.

Examination in the Time of COVID-19-MCh Plastic Surgery Examination: How Did We Do It?

Background Many aspects of life have been changed, after the starting of the pandemic. Modifications and improvisation in our day-to-day activities is now a new norm. During the pandemic period, continuation academic activities and conductance of examination is difficult but essential. We are sharing our experience of conductance of MCh examination during the pandemic and preparations made. This article also discussed the future of surgical assessment examination, use of technology in surgical assessment changing times. Methods Procedural flow of the examination, Logistics and arrangements were planned and checked. Reliability and validity of questions were maintained by providing a similar set of questions and stepwise objective assessment. Assessment and feedback by the examinees and examiners on the pattern and conductance of examination were assessed by a Likert scale. Results We found, 73% agreed examination patterns were able to test the knowledge fairly. While 80 % believed the pattern was the same for all the candidates. All the stakeholders agreed the examination conducted in a Safe and stress-free atmosphere and use of technology helpful. Fifty- three % agreed the case scenarios correctly simulate the clinical presentations. Lastly, 66 % felt the examination process is adequate for summative assessment. Conclusions It is vital to reflect regarding the need for a uniform module to handle changing scenarios keeping the integrity and quality of the examination. Interactive screen, mannequin, and 3D model will be useful in the examination. In future, standardized examination modules for the surgical trainees will be required to perform a comprehensive assessment.

Learners' Perspective towards E-Exams during COVID-19 Outbreak: Evidence from Higher Educational Institutions of India and Saudi Arabia.

Online examinations, commonly referred to as e-exams (electronic examinations), underwent a considerable progression, getting adapted ubiquitously among higher education institutions worldwide. Their preferment was rapid due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of conducting exams online is being opted as the appropriate way of assessment, ensuring the students' safety and well-being. According to Warts et al., this form of examination has been pretty effective in the past when blended with the conventional assessment. However, at present, implemented as the singular way of assessment, e-exams have shown a more significant promise in being beneficial to the learners. As a matter of fact, a comprehensive analysis on understanding the learners' perception towards the e-exams was not done earlier, particularly in the developing nations. Thus, it was pertinent to examine the pre-requisites of e-exams to promote it as a useful tool for the smooth conduct of exams in the aforesaid nations. Against such a backdrop, this study was conducted during January to March 2021 on 207 students enrolled in four universities, three situated in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India: Delhi University (DU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and one situated in Saudi Arabia, namely Saudi Electronic University (SEU). A quantitative approach was employed for the study, with the responses recorded via web questionnaires. Confirmatory -factor analysis (CFA) was applied in the study to examine whether the process of conducting online examinations is being chosen as the appropriate form of assessment, ensuring the safety and well-being of students through AMOS (version 24) software. For determining the reliability of the two latent constructs, namely "Perceptions of students towards E-exams (PSE)" and "Pre-requisites of E-exams (POE)," Cronbach's alpha was used through SPSS (version 25) software in the study, and the results reveal that the strong internal consistency exists between all the measured variables. In addition, the mean and standard deviation were used by the researchers to find out the pre-requisites of the online examination system. The participants expressed their insights on the relative benefits of online examination. Their perception was based on pedagogy, validity and reliability, affective factors, practicality, and security. From their insights, it was concluded that online examination is more advantageous than conventional paper-based exams. The outcome also applies to the authenticity of grading and the overall efficiency concerning the time, effort, and expenditure on conducting the examination. Contrarily, the participating students also recognized numerous hurdles in implementing e-exams concerning security, validity, and impartiality. The conclusion further revealed that online examination is especially relevant for formative assessment of learning instead of summative assessment, provided authenticity, security, and flexibility are used as fundamental tenants in the proper implementation of e-exams. The outcome of the present study will facilitate higher education institutions and policymakers in taking the electronic examination system to the next level.

Conduct and evaluation of final-year medical student summative assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19: an Australian University Medical School experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and share with the medical education community, the conduct and evaluation of summative graduate medical student assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19 at an Australian university. METHODS: Summative assessments were redesigned as follows: written assessments were administered via an online platform (WATTLE), while the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) were conducted via a secure video-conferencing software (Zoom). RESULTS: Our preliminary analysis of the summative assessments indicated that both examiners and students adapted to the format, with overall performance of the students showing no variation due to timing of the assessment (earlier versus later in the day) and performances similar to face-to-face assessments in previous years. Examiners also expressed positive feedback on the assessment process. CONCLUSIONS: Our graduate fourth-year medical student summative assessments were effectively conducted using online and video-conferencing software in accordance with existing COVID-19 pandemic public health measures for physical distancing and hygiene.

Challenges of remote assessment in higher education in the context of COVID-19: a case study of Middle East College.

Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 incident, higher education institutions have faced different challenges in their teaching-learning activities. Particularly conducting assessments remotely during COVID-19 has posed extraordinary challenges for higher education institutions owing to lack of preparation superimposed with the inherent problems of remote assessment. In the current study, the challenges of remote assessment during COVID-19 incident in higher education institutions were investigated taking Middle East College as a case study. For the study, questionnaires were prepared and data from 50 faculties were collected and analyzed. The study focused on the challenges of remote assessment in general and academic dishonesty in particular. The main challenges identified in remote assessment were academic dishonesty, infrastructure, coverage of learning outcomes, and commitment of students to submit assessments. To minimize academic dishonesty, preparing different questions to each student was found to be the best approach. Online presentation was also found to be good option to control academic integrity violations. Combining various assessment methods, for instance report submission with online presentation, helps to minimize academic dishonesty since the examiner would have a chance to confirm whether the submitted work is the work of the student.

Introducing a comprehensive high-stake online exam to final-year dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluation of its effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Dental education involves teaching and assessing the acquisition of verifiable domains that require superior psychomotor, communication, and cognitive skills. Evolving technologies and methods of assessment could enhance student learning environment and improve tutor assessment experience. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to introduce the application of a comprehensive high-stakes online exam to final-year dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate its effectiveness. DESIGN: A high-stakes exam was introduced and implemented online to the final-year dental students prior to their graduation. The exam consisted of four components: MEQs, MCQs, OSCE and an oral exam. The exam and invigilation were conducted using Blackboard and MS Teams programs. Stakeholders' views of the exam were obtained using two tailored surveys, one for students and another for faculty; both included closed- and open-ended questions. RESULTS: The exam was run successfully without untoward events. Both students and staff were satisfied with the online exam with the latter being more satisfied than the former. Students with previous experience in online learning system were more satisfied with the online exam compared with those with less experience (p < 0.05). The main issues raised by students' satisfaction with the exam were: inadequacy of time for the MEQ part, prevention of back tracking in the MCQ part and minor technological issues, whereas those raised by faculty members were increased time required to complete the exam setup and grading compared to the paper-based exam and minor technological issues. CONCLUSIONS: A newly introduced, multi-format, online high-stakes exam was implemented successfully to final-year dental students with minor technological issues and good satisfaction by students and staff alike.