Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Online Assessment in Tertiary Education: A Case Study at Tra Vinh University, Vietnam

Abstract

The study aims to examine university students’ perceptions of online assessment and the challenges they encountered when experiencing online tests or exams. The participants were 51 senior English majors at Tra Vinh University. The questionnaire was the only instrument in use. The findings reveal that the participants had positive attitudes towards online assessment because of easy accessibility and submission, the inclusion of a variety of tasks or questions, effectiveness in enhancing self-learning, immediate feedback, as well as the confidentiality of the test materials and results. In terms of the obstacles, the students encountered a great deal of difficulties including weak Internet signals, fatigue due to long hours of looking at the computer’s screen, discomfort when being asked to turn on the camera, distractions during online exams at home, lack of technology literacy and time pressure for each test section. Consequently, some recommendations are made for the administrators and undergraduates in Tra Vinh University in particular and neighboring universities in general to assist students in overcoming their challenges and achieving better results in their future online tests or exams.