A Study on Online Assessment Preference and Performance During COVID-19 Pandemic

The campus closure and lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic which took place in 2020 had resulted in the adoption of virtual learning in higher learning institutions in Malaysia. The implementation of fully online learning approaches required both learners and educators to adapt to online assessment methods. In line with this, the shift from physical and written tests to online tests had a significant impact on teaching and learning in the virtual classroom. This paper presents students' preferences for online assessment platforms and types of assessment questions. This study also explores the impact of online assessment towards students' performance during virtual learning. Data was collected through an online questionnaire distributed to students from Multimedia University (MMU), Malaysia. This study found that students preferred closed-ended questions design and Google Classroom as the platform of online assessment. This study also revealed that students' academic performance improved during online learning. The findings of this study will be useful to academics and educators in designing effective online assessments if online learning continues after the pandemic. It also provides a framework for future research into the perceptions of online assessment among educators and academics