Second International Conference on Computer Research and Development
Student's perception of an online exam within
the Decision Support System Course at Al al
Bayt University
Ibtesam Fares Al-Mashaqbeh
Department of Computer Education
Al al-Bayt University
Mafraq-Jordan
ibtesam@aabu.edu.jo
Abstract— The aim of this study is to measure students'
perceptions toward the use of online exam as an assessment
tool on university campus within a Decision Support System
Course at Al al Bayt University. The study will show the
advantages and disadvantages of the using an online exam
on the university campus. To do so a questionnaire was
delivered to students taking the course and then it was
analyzed using the SPSS. The results showed that there was
a positive perception towards the adopting of online exam.
Index Terms— Distance Learning, Assessment, Online
Exam, Online Evaluation, Online Interaction)..
I. INTRODUCTION
With the new wave of using technology in higher
education, online exams have become a part of the
institution's course evaluation methods. Online exams
offers a variety of educational opportunities such as:
allowing students to become more active, helping
students with different learning styles and needs, and
offering them more access to online database for exam
preparations (Mya, Martha and Stassen 2008). The
Educational Testing Service (ETS) offered different kind
of general tests that is required in higher education
institutions such as: Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and a
computerized SAT (Fair test, 2007). Much of the learning
in technological educational courses are best assessed via
instruments and online techniques and is preferred to be
used to enhance the traditional tests. Although traditional
assessment required time and more administration efforts
for grading and administer the exam it still important for
learning in the cognitive domain by helping students
during their learning process. So it is not argued in this
paper to replace the traditional way of giving exams, but
enhancing it by integrating the online exams if needed
and if it is of any value to help in improving the
educational process.
II. ASSESSMENTS TOOLS:
Using online exam as an assessment tool involves a lot of
issues that has to be taken into consideration such a
978-0-7695-4043-6/10 $26.00 © 2010 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/ICCRD.2010.15
Ahmad Al Hamad
Department Management Information System
Al al-Bayt University
Mafraq-Jordan
aqd14@yahoo.com
automatically and routinely comparing students' answers
for the exam; and the software that construct the exam
should allow a random test construction (Rowe and Neil
2004). In Distance learning environment there are a lot of
pressures on the program coordinators to find a way to
test students securely. Online testing should be secure,
which means that the "right" person is taking the test and
the test items are protected by ensuring the integrity and
security of the testing procedures (Distance Education
Organizations).
Online assessment plays an important part in the learning
process. This way of assessment needs to be valid,
reliable, fair, and flexible. It provides greater flexibility in
“when and how” assessment is undertaken (Australian
National Training Authority, 2002). There are different
forms for online exam that support students learning such
as: Written assignments, online discussions, Essays,
presentations, online quizzes and questions, Collaborative
assignment work, and Online Exams (Hartcher, Booth,
2002). There are a various types of software that has
been used to deliver online tests such as: WebCT,
Responders, Perception, and Question Mark (Strategies
for Success). Technology expertise work hard to adopt
new technologies for online exams preparation that
should make the assessment process more secure,
accessible, affordable, and more accurate for all students
(distance education organizations).
Students in an online learning environment students are
actively involved in the learning process while teachers
work hard to establish trusting relationships with their
students, and provide a structured assessment tools that
help their students to enhance their performances and
help themselves to have more time that is usually spent in
marking the exams (Young, 2006). Helping students to be
ready for online exam could be achieved by different
ways like: providing online materials for students to
study for the exam which cover the needs of each student
(Schoenfeld, 2003). Online assessment could serve a
multiple purposes: assessing students learning for course
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materials and assessing students' computer skills
(Moskal, 2000).
In online testing each student is responsible for being
familiar with the testing procedures by completing their
test in a timely and appropriate manner (Strategies for
Success). Assessment in online and traditional education
environment allows teachers to determine what, and how
well, their students are learning. It also allows them to
fined the best teaching methods for their students, and
allows department heads to evaluate the effectiveness of
the entire programs (Fenno, 2002). Developing a
formative assessment system is one of the most important
concerns of distance education programs. The major goal
of assessment system should be to help in identifying and
applying improvements in the student learning process,
by giving students a feedback on their learning progress.
Instructors could use pre-online exam that allow students
being prepare for the final exam by discussing and
repeating exam attempts, which should ensure less exam
pressure for the students (Williams, 2005). Online exams
have many advantages that support teachers' preparations
for the exam such as: it gives the instructors have the
ability to randomly select the exam items from a test
Bank, to generate data for the questions, and to randomly
re-order the test answers choices (Fields & Johnson,
2006).
III. SAMPLE SELECTION:
Columns according to Hussey and Hussey (1997) a
sample is a subject of population that should represent the
main interests of the undertaken study. Harvey (1998)
stated, Before [the researchers starts the evaluation] it is
important to be clear in what [he/she] wants to find out
from [his/her] evaluation, which evaluation method is
going to be the most appropriate for [the study], and how
many students it is going to appropriate and practical to
include. … A number of sample options are possible, but
it is worth bearing in mind what the benefits and
limitations of each might be.
The population of the study are all students taking a
course called “Decision support systems and expert
systems” at Al al Bayt University Jordan - Mafraq. The
sample taken is two sections, both sections are taking the
course Decision support systems and expert systems on
the first semester 2007/2008. Fifty students were enrolled
in each section, for a total of 100 students. Students
enrolled at this course were from two fields: Management
Information systems and Computer Information Systems
at the Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah IT college. Students
are from different levels: second, third, and fourth year of
study, both males and females.
The course Decision support systems and expert systems
was selected because it is a university requirements for all
students at the IT college and also this course can best
suit the idea of online exam. The study was implemented
at Al al Bayt University because there is an initiative to
adopt online exams through a new department established
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this year for the purpose of conducting online exams and
to computerize the course material, so there is a need to
study the student’s perception of online exam to help
increasing the adoption of this new experience. The IT
college students were chosen, because they are the most
skilled students in the university in using computers, so if
the study gives negative signs towards the adoption of the
online exam, that means that the university should be
very careful in implementing the online exam idea before
studying all the issues and solving all the problems that
stands in front of applying the idea. And if the study
gives positive signs, then it could be re done for other
students from other colleges until we can measure the
perception of students towards the idea of online exam.
IV. DATA ANALYSIS
Data analysis is an important part of any research and it is
therefore extremely important that the researchers not
only understands the underlying principles of data
analysis but also has the skills to apply the appropriate
statistical tests. Harvey (1998) stated,
As with gathering data, an important concern is how long
the data will take to analyse. The process of analyzing
and categorizing qualitative data can be very time
intensive. Transcription (which could be considered to be
part of either data capture or analysis) also needs to be
considered.
Harvey (1998) also added that data can be presented in a
range of formats, it depends on the type of data gathered
and the type of software used to analyze these data.
In this study, software called Statistical Package for
Social Science (SPSS) is used to analyze the
questionnaire that was delivered to students, this software
is used to examine relationships between variables and to
examine the difference between groups/conditions. In the
results, the researcher will try to find some relations
between questions.
V. THE RESULTS:
The questionnaire was divided into 15 questions, two
questions (1 & 15) were designed to ask about the
student’s opinions on the online exam. Some questions
were designed to ask about the capabilities and features
of the online exam (questions: 3, 4, 5, 9, & 10), two
questions were designed to ask about the student’s
capabilities (computer skills) before doing the online
exam (questions: 6 & 7), question 11 was designed to ask
about the university’s capabilities (resources: computers,
labs, etc..), a very important question (number 8) was
designed to ask about the need for implementing the
online exam through an e-learning environment. And the
three questions (12, 13, and 14) were designed to collect
some information about the students (Gender,
Department, and Level).
The data collected from the questionnaire was entered 15% of students disagree that the GUI of the online
and analyzed using a very well-known package called
exam was user friendly.
SPSS (Statistical Package for social science). And the
results showed the following: 10% of students strongly disagree that the GUI of
the online exam was user friendly.
For the questions (1 & 15):

Question 1: Do you agree that delivering the exam

Question 4: Do agree that the time assigned for each
online is of any value to you? question is sufficient as for the whole online exam?
65% of students strongly agree that using the online 89% of students strongly agree that time was
exam is valuable. sufficient.
20% of students agree that using the online exam is 11% of students agree that time was sufficient.
valuable. 0% of students neither agree or disagree that time
10% of students neither agree or disagree that using was sufficient.
the online exam is valuable. 0% of students disagree that time was sufficient.
5% of students disagree that using the online exam is 0% of students strongly disagree that time was
valuable. sufficient.
0% of students strongly disagree that using the Question 5: Do you agree that presenting one item
online exam is valuable. only one the screen helps the students to concentrate
on the question?
Question 15: Do you find yourself motivated in 80% of students strongly agree that it does help.
using the online quiz? 15% of students agree that it does help.
70% of students strongly agree that the online exam 5% of students neither agree or disagree that it does
was motivating. help.
22% of students agree that the online exam was 0% of students disagree that it does help.
motivating. 0% of students strongly disagree that it does help.
5% of students neither agree or disagree that the
online exam was motivating. Question 9: Do you agree adding the back option for
questions will help students to
2% of students disagree that the online exam was memorize and revise their answers?
motivating. 80% of students strongly agree that the back option
1% of students strongly disagree that the online is helpful.
exam was motivating. 20% of students agree that the back option is helpful.
For the questions (3, 4, 5, 9 & 10): 0% of students neither agree or disagree that the back
option is helpful.
Question 3: do you think that the GUI of the online
0% of students disagree that the back option is
exam was user friendly? helpful.
40% of students strongly agree that the GUI of the 0% of students strongly disagree that the back
online exam was user friendly. option is helpful.
20% of students agree that the GUI of the online
exam was user friendly. Question 10: To what extent do you agree that
adding images and figures to the
15% of students neither agree or disagree that the online exam can help in more visualization and
GUI of the OE was user friendly explanations options?

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 80% of students strongly agree that the images and
figures options is helpful.
20% of students agree that the images and figures
options is helpful.
0% of students neither agree or disagree that the
images and figures options is helpful.
0% of students disagree that the images and figures
options is helpful.
0% of students strongly disagree that the images
and figures options is helpful.
For the questions (6 & 7):
Question 6: Do you agree that dealing with the new
environment (online exam) did
not require any new skills to use it?
95% of students strongly agree.
5% of students agree.
0% of students neither agree or disagree.
0% of students disagree.
0% of students strongly disagree.
Question 7: To what level do you think that dealing
with the new environment?
needs special training?
0% of students strongly agree.
0% of students agree.
1% of students neither agree or disagree.
12% of students disagree.
87% of students strongly disagree.
For the questions (8): Did you think that doing the
online exam through an e-learning system can help
student to be more familiar with the idea of the online
exam?
89% Agree.
11% Disagree.
For questions 12, 13, & 14, these questions were
designed to collect information about the students to see
if the different levels and different fields does affect the
perception of the online exam and may be because both
fields belongs to IT field, it does not show any significant
different.
IV. CONCLUSIONS:
The results showed that the students are very happy with
the online exam and found it very valuable, although the
version of the online exam used at the university has a lot
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of capabilities, but students agreed that it also can be
enhanced with additional features. Also students agree
that integrating the online exam through an e-learning
environment can help to more adoption for the idea of the
online exam. Finally, it has to be mentioned that the
students involved on the study are from IT background,
and this may be one of the reasons that help to increase
the adoption of the online exam within the sample
selected, and for future studies, it is recommended that
this study to be spread within the rest of the university
students who are from different backgrounds rather than
the IT, this may give a more reliable and trusted results.
Reference
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Journal of Distance Education, University of Wyoming, I. Mashaqbeh is with the Al al Bayt University,
20(2), 2006. Mafraq, Jordan (e-mail: ibtisam@ aabu.edu.jo).

A. Al Hamad., is with the Al al Bayt University,

Mafraq, Jordan (e-mail: aqd14@yahoo.com).

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