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Abstract— The aim of this study is to measure students' automatically and routinely comparing students' answers
perceptions toward the use of online exam as an assessment for the exam; and the software that construct the exam
tool on university campus within a Decision Support System should allow a random test construction (Rowe and Neil
Course at Al al Bayt University. The study will show the 2004). In Distance learning environment there are a lot of
advantages and disadvantages of the using an online exam pressures on the program coordinators to find a way to
on the university campus. To do so a questionnaire was
test students securely. Online testing should be secure,
delivered to students taking the course and then it was
analyzed using the SPSS. The results showed that there was which means that the "right" person is taking the test and
a positive perception towards the adopting of online exam. the test items are protected by ensuring the integrity and
security of the testing procedures (Distance Education
Organizations).
Index Terms— Distance Learning, Assessment, Online
Exam, Online Evaluation, Online Interaction).. Online assessment plays an important part in the learning
process. This way of assessment needs to be valid,
I. INTRODUCTION reliable, fair, and flexible. It provides greater flexibility in
“when and how” assessment is undertaken (Australian
With the new wave of using technology in higher National Training Authority, 2002). There are different
education, online exams have become a part of the forms for online exam that support students learning such
institution's course evaluation methods. Online exams as: Written assignments, online discussions, Essays,
offers a variety of educational opportunities such as: presentations, online quizzes and questions, Collaborative
allowing students to become more active, helping assignment work, and Online Exams (Hartcher, Booth,
students with different learning styles and needs, and 2002). There are a various types of software that has
offering them more access to online database for exam been used to deliver online tests such as: WebCT,
preparations (Mya, Martha and Stassen 2008). The Responders, Perception, and Question Mark (Strategies
Educational Testing Service (ETS) offered different kind for Success). Technology expertise work hard to adopt
of general tests that is required in higher education new technologies for online exams preparation that
institutions such as: Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and a should make the assessment process more secure,
computerized SAT (Fair test, 2007). Much of the learning accessible, affordable, and more accurate for all students
in technological educational courses are best assessed via (distance education organizations).
instruments and online techniques and is preferred to be
used to enhance the traditional tests. Although traditional Students in an online learning environment students are
assessment required time and more administration efforts actively involved in the learning process while teachers
for grading and administer the exam it still important for work hard to establish trusting relationships with their
learning in the cognitive domain by helping students students, and provide a structured assessment tools that
during their learning process. So it is not argued in this help their students to enhance their performances and
paper to replace the traditional way of giving exams, but help themselves to have more time that is usually spent in
enhancing it by integrating the online exams if needed marking the exams (Young, 2006). Helping students to be
and if it is of any value to help in improving the ready for online exam could be achieved by different
educational process. ways like: providing online materials for students to
II. ASSESSMENTS TOOLS: study for the exam which cover the needs of each student
(Schoenfeld, 2003). Online assessment could serve a
Using online exam as an assessment tool involves a lot of multiple purposes: assessing students learning for course
issues that has to be taken into consideration such a
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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):
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80% of students strongly agree that the images and of capabilities, but students agreed that it also can be
enhanced with additional features. Also students agree
figures options is helpful.
that integrating the online exam through an e-learning
20% of students agree that the images and figures environment can help to more adoption for the idea of the
online exam. Finally, it has to be mentioned that the
options is helpful.
students involved on the study are from IT background,
0% of students neither agree or disagree that the and this may be one of the reasons that help to increase
the adoption of the online exam within the sample
images and figures options is helpful.
selected, and for future studies, it is recommended that
0% of students disagree that the images and figures this study to be spread within the rest of the university
students who are from different backgrounds rather than
options is helpful.
the IT, this may give a more reliable and trusted results.
0% of students strongly disagree that the images
and figures options is helpful. Reference
Reference
For the questions (6 & 7):
[1] A. Fales-Williams, T. Kramer, R . Heer, and J .
Question 6: Do you agree that dealing with the new Danielson. “A quiz becomes a multidirectional dialogue
with Web-based instructional tools for an anatomical
environment (online exam) did pathology rotation,” Journal of Veterinary Medical
not require any new skills to use it? Education, 32(1), 2005, pp. 144-149.
95% of students strongly agree. [2] Australian National Training Authority:
http://pre2005.flexiblelearning.net.au/guides/assessment.pd
5% of students agree. f, July 2004: Assessment and online teaching.
[3] Booth, R, Hartcher, R & Hyde, “ Creating quality
0% of students neither agree or disagree. online assessment – the experience to date, paper presented
0% of students disagree. ,” AVETRA 5th Annual Conference
[4] B. Moskal, and J. Leydens: Practical Assessment,
0% of students strongly disagree. Research & Evaluation, 7(10). Retrieved November 4,
2008: http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=10
(2000): Scoring rubric development: validity and
Question 7: To what level do you think that dealing reliability., Caulfield: Victoria, http://www.avetra.org.au/ ,
PP (2002).
with the new environment?
[5] Fair test: The National Center for Fair & Open
needs special training? Testing (FairTest): http://www.fairtest.org/computerized-
0% of students strongly agree. testing-more-questions-answers, (2007): Computerized
Testing: More Questions than Answers.
0% of students agree. [6] F. Fenno, “ Published by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a
division of the Educational and Professional Publishing
1% of students neither agree or disagree. Group of The McGraw- Hill companies Inc., (2002).
12% of students disagree. [7] J. Hussey and R. Hussey R., “ Business Research:
A practical guide for
87% of students strongly disagree. undergraduates and postgraduate students,” Macmillan
Press Ltd: Houndmills, (1997).
For the questions (8): Did you think that doing the [8] N. Rowe: Cheating in Online Student Assessment:
online exam through an e-learning system can help Beyond Plagiarism. Online Journal of Distance Learning
Administration,VII(II):
student to be more familiar with the idea of the online http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/rowe72.
exam? html, (2004).
89% Agree. [9] P. Fields,. & E. Johnso, “ An example of
11% Disagree. individualizing learning and assessment through
computerized testing,” Presented at The International
Conferences on Teaching Statistics, ICOTS-7, 2006.
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 [10] P. M. Martha, and A. Stassen: Community, and
perception of the online exam and may be because both Assessment. A Handbook for UMass Faculty. University
fields belongs to IT field, it does not show any significant of Massachusetts: http://www.umass.edu/cft,
(2008):Teaching and Learning Online: Communication
different.
[11] R. Schoenfeld, S. McConnell, and T. Schultheiss,
“Use of interactive online histopathology modules at
IV. CONCLUSIONS: different stages of a veterinary program,” Journal of
Veterinary Medical Education, 30(4), 2003, pp 364-371.
The results showed that the students are very happy with [12] R Van-Horn, & M. Harvey, “The rural
the online exam and found it very valuable, although the entrepreneurial venture: Creating the virtual mega firm,”
Journal of Business Venturing, (13), 1998, 257-274.
version of the online exam used at the university has a lot
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[13] Suzanne Young, “ Student Views of Effective Authors
Online Teaching in Higher Education,” . The American
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).
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