EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF ONLINE ASSESSMENT: A STUDY OF PERSPECTIVES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Online assessment is not a novice concept, yet, gained popularity only after the noxious COVID-19 invaded the world. Much of the literature is focused on the effectiveness of online assessments and the challenges faced by the teachers while setting online examinations. The challenges, students faced while attempting online examination is the least studied area as of now (Özden, 2005). Therefore, the current study intends to explore the university students’ perceptions of the challenges they have faced during online examinations owing to COVID-19 by adopting phenomenology as the basic research method. The criterion sampling technique was used for the selection of 15 university students from across Pakistan. The data was collected in vis-à-vis interviews sessions preferably, however, the researcher used zoom where intercity logistics were involved. Findings revealed that students were particularly challenged on technical and financial grounds, and social structures of combined family setups further added to their problems. The implications are equally valuable for academia and policymakers.