What do first year law students think of online assessments? 

Authors: 

Mahmoud Patel, Norina Braaf, Karin Chinnian, and Tawffeek Mohammed

Summary: 

This study reports on the use of online assessments in English for an Educational Development module for law students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. It highlights the benefits of using the method of an online test to manage and enable learning by reflection in a large class setting. The design and development of online materials and assessment are based on a theoretical framework that stems from the main schools of learning, namely behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and alternative assessment. Upon the completion of the module, a survey of 12 questions was given to 530 students to determine the benefits and challenges they experienced while completing formative online tests throughout the year. The tests were preceded by structured and interactive activities. Students were granted multiple chances to complete the test before the due date and the highest score was then recorded. Results revealed that this method enables students to engage with learning materials, stay motivated, and test their own understanding of meaningful knowledge in the English language especially in the law context. It makes the learning and management thereof easier for both the learner and teacher or tutor and accommodates different learning styles. The survey also exposed the disadvantages of online tests, such as technological limitations, including weak internet connectivity, as well as students’ weak computer skills, including inaccurate typing and at a slow speed. Lack of security of online tests is another disadvantage, highlighting the need to find ways to increase the integrity of online tests.

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