Assessment Type Preferences in Informatics Engineering: before, during, and after the pandemic

Abstract: A variety of societal sectors were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the specific situation of higher education, many classrooms switched to remote learning throughout the several lockdowns. Numerous constraints related to this problem are reported in the literature, particularly in classes where students were not proficient in using technology or where there was a heavy emphasis on in-person communication. The problem was worsened in countries with inadequate or insufficient technology resources.Even in the absence of a pandemic or a situation requiring a similar treatment, it is important to comprehend the added value of this experiment and how it can live up to students, families, educators, and institutions’ expectations. With this aim in mind, we analysed, in Portugal, the adoption of the remote/hybrid model during the confinements and its execution using inputs from students enrolled in a technology course (Bachelor in Informatics Engineering). This choice aimed to capture the perception of this specific profile, characterized by strong digital proficiency, and, in most cases, access to technological resources. This allows us to focus the research on the teaching mode itself, rather than potential constraints of its operationalization.We collected information to analyse several aspects, namely the class type preferences, the assessment type preferences and the behavioural and attitudinal aspects, before, during, and after the pandemic. Even though some negative aspects were noted, especially in the social and psychological domain, it was also clear that these students responded favourably to some of the tactics and strategies used at the time, which they deemed suitable for a post-COVID scenario. In this paper, the focus is on the assessment type preferences. For that, we questioned students and analysed the following aspects: the type of assessment students prefer (online or presential); the type of online and presential assessment students prefer (multiple-choice assessments, open-ended questions, filling in blanks, or other modalities); the type of tests students prefer in face-to-face assessment; the adequacy of the time allocated to the duration of the online tests; their difficulty level when compared to face-to-face tests; and the students' opinion on whether their ethical principles could potentially disadvantage them in a context of possible academic fraud. For each aspect, the reasons behind them were analysed.The findings suggest that students faced numerous challenges when transitioning to virtual environments but also reveal their overall satisfaction with the assessment process. They also support the idea that the predominantly face-to-face teaching system currently in use should undergo a reflection. Once it has been tried, remote evaluation processes endure inside the system and must be adapted to the present expectations of the various players. In our study, students paid significant attention to aspects such as time and cost savings, exam duration, the appropriateness of the exam type for each topic, and the potential for fraud.The full paper will be structured as follows: Section 1 will focus on the impact of the pandemic on evaluation processes, section 2 will describe the research methodology adopted, section 3, will describe and analyse the research results, and, finally, section 4, will present the conclusions and discuss future research.

Keywords: Assessment, Emergency remote teaching, Test formats

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004586

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