Technology Fusion in Assessment: Test Anxiety and Academic Achievement in Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

The fusion of computer technologies has had a remarkable impact on contemporary culture, as computers have a substantial impact on practically all aspects of learning; nonetheless, some students have claimed that they still feel uncomfortable when using computers. Test anxiety related to computer–assisted assessment (CAA) is a main factor that is expected to influence students’ academic achievement. Learning math in the digital environment could be a challenging process for students which could increase anxiety levels among them. The current quantitative research study pursues to measure students’ levels of anxiety that result from learning and assessment with computers and discover whether anxiety level is associated with students' academic achievement in tertiary institutions. Descriptive analysis and Correlation Coefficient are the employed statistical techniques to achieve the study objectives. Findings demonstrated that more than 90% of the sample identified with low anxiety levels and there is a noteworthy negative correlation between anxiety levels and students’ academic achievement in math. The findings have implications for practice in the higher education sector in instructional design and university counselling services.