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Assuring online assessment quality: the case of unproctored online assessment

Linda Lin (English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China)
Dennis Foung (School of Journalism, Writing and Media, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)
Julia Chen (Educational Development Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China)

Quality Assurance in Education

ISSN: 0968-4883

Article publication date: 11 July 2022

Issue publication date: 10 January 2023

275

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of the transformation of an assessment on students’ performance and perspectives in an English for Academic Purposes course in Hong Kong. The assessment was changed from the traditional pen-and-paper mode to an unproctored online mode.

Design/methodology/approach

Using mixed methods, the research team analysed the differences between the assessment performances of those who took the course before the pandemic (n = 664) and those who took it during the pandemic (n = 702). Furthermore, focus group interviews were conducted with seven students regarding their perspectives on the unproctored assessment.

Findings

The results revealed that, although there were no major differences in the overall grades of the two groups, students who were assessed online during the pandemic performed significantly better in terms of their English use. Nevertheless, the shift to online assessment had several negative effects on the students.

Originality/value

Previous studies on unproctored online assessments (UOA) were concerned with potential learning quality issues, such as plagiarism and grade inflation. This study, however, provided empirical evidence that high-quality assessment delivery can be provided via UOA if the question types and assessment arrangements are carefully decided.

Keywords

Citation

Lin, L., Foung, D. and Chen, J. (2023), "Assuring online assessment quality: the case of unproctored online assessment", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 137-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-02-2022-0048

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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