Abstract
BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, universities were required to swiftly alter their approaches to assessing students. A number of countries around the world, especially those in resource-constrained environments, faced significant challenges in implementing successful online assessments amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable dearth of research about the experiences of students in Southern Africa on online assessments. ObjectivesThis study explores and describe undergraduate nursing students’ experiences with regards to online assessment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Southern Africa. MethodA qualitative explorative study was employed on 17 undergraduate nursing students recruited via purposive sampling. Data was acquired through a semi-structured interview guide for individual telephonic interviews. Data was analysed thematically using Tesch’s eight-steps method. FindingsThe research study identified three key topics: (1) positive experiences of online assessments; (2) challenges encountered with online assessments; and (3) suggested methods for enhancing online assessments. The results demonstrate that students from both universities encountered more difficulties and obstacles than advantages while completing their online assessments. The study participants expressed stress associated with several factors, including insufficient technical know-how, unreliable internet connectivity, and power outages. ConclusionInsufficient technical expertise posed a challenge to participants in the completion of the online assessment, thereby impeding their success. It is imperative that universities provide ongoing technical training to enable the effective integration of technology both in present and future pandemics. It is suggested that future research focus on devising approaches for implementing online assessment.
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