Online assessments during COVID-19 pandemic - A paradigm shift in educational strategy

Abstract

Introduction: Covid-19 pandemic has instigated changes in the teaching and assessment practices of institutions in many parts of the world, resulting not only in online teaching but also in online assessments. The present study analyzes the perceptions of students regarding the first online assessments conducted at a medical college in Pakistan.
 Materials and Methods: This Mixed method cross-sectional study was conducted in Wah Medical College, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan from July to November 2020. The questionnaire was developed after the collaboration of the authors and a review of the pertinent literature on online examinations. Universal sampling was done and all students of WMC were invited to participate in the study. Data collection was done by google forms and analysis was performed on SPSS.
 Results: Students from all five years of the MBBS program participated almost equally in the study. Students of 1st, 3rd and 4th year were not contented with their performance in online exams whereas students of 2nd and 5th year were satisfied. Most students considered technological issues as a basis for their poor performance and proposed technical training before online exams. They also provided suggestions related to the improvement of examination formats and tools.
 Conclusion: The majority of the students found the online assessment more effective and helpful in improving their performance in exams. Student perceptions provided valuable insights for improving the online examinations system at Wah Medical College.