The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic has, without doubt, penetrated into every industry known to man, all over the world. Education is perhaps one of the most affected industries of them all. According to reports, several schools had to be shut down in the past year, an alarming number of students have lost access to education and the fundamental system of learning has been shaken. As we slowly shift to the online method of learning, a major challenge facing the education sector is the mode of evaluation. The challenge is, however, an opportunity to correct the flaws of the prevailing system of evaluation. While the focus has been on how much a student scores, the aspect of learning is often not taken into consideration. The shift to digital can be an opportunity to bring about reforms in the system of evaluation.
Going Digital
The shift from classroom to digital demands a more organised and efficient system of teaching as well as evaluation, this has paved the way for assessment management solutions that assist in the process of evaluation. Online classes may not necessarily be as efficient as offline classes. The levels of attention and comprehension are fairly low in the case of online education. This makes it all the more important to have an efficient system of evaluation to keep track of learning progress and efficiency of classes.
Methods of assessment
A highly recommended method of evaluation is a combination of formative and summative evaluation. Formative assessments are diagnostic in nature and conducted during the process of learning and not at the end. It helps understand the progress of students and adopt necessary changes in the teaching methods for better results. Summative evaluation on the other hand is a more standardised form of assessment that is aimed at testing the outcomes of learning and the student’s mastery of the subject. These are conducted at the end of a unit or after a specific period of instruction. While this model of education is more efficient, it tends to be a tedious process for educators to plan the assessments and keep track of the progress.
Online assessment tools
The shift to digital has given rise to assessment management systems that simplify the process of evaluation and increase the efficiency of online assessments. Automated online assessment tools can help in the real-time evaluation process and keep track of student progress, hence reducing the workload of educators. Some pressing issues in the case of remote assessments are cheating and impostering. Online Assessment Platforms provide tools that make proctoring easy and efficient in order to achieve reliable outcomes.
Technological advancements in the area of education have been instrumental in keeping up with changing times. Digital assessment solutions simplify the process of evaluation and provide educators with the necessary support to carry out assessments effectively.
