Page 79 - Proceedings-edit-2021_09_20-final

© Proceedings of the Ruhuna Quality Assurance Sessions 2021 (RUQAS 2021)
st
21 September 2021

face presentation-evaluation (36.3) %, while others noticed no difference between the two methods.
Students’ views on their online presentation-evaluation experience were that there is a conducive

environment for the assessment adopted. Students preferred online rather than conventional mode for

presentation evaluation.

Keywords: Effectiveness, Online Assessment, Presentation, Feedback, Undergraduate

Introduction

The educational institutions were compelled to make sudden modifications in their teaching-learning
strategies in response to social distancing guidelines imposed due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Moore and Anderson (2003), online programs have become widely and generally

accepted in many countries. The online evaluation is a digital-based assessment that facilitates
diversified ways to measure the students’ performance. Kuzma (2011), highlighted human capabilities,

real-time contact, immediate feedback, peer and instructor support as major concerns of online
presentation evaluation. Pros and cons associated with online evaluation from different perspectives

have been reported (Taylor, 2002). Since online evaluations take place outside the classroom, students
may become distracted and unable to recall or complete the assignment without considering the quality

of performance during the evaluation (Laubsch, 2006). In general, academics and participants focus

mainly on delivery skills and extra-linguistic features (body language, interactive skills, and eye
contact) in evaluating presentations. In online evaluation the above aspects may receive lesser

attention. According to Anderson et al. (2005), there may also be technical problems during online

learning activities. Some questions remain as to whether the responses of the teachers and students are
satisfactory as compared to the traditional presentation evaluation (Dommeyer et al., 2002).

Since online assessments are relatively new to Sri Lankan Universities, both students and teachers are

facing difficulties in optimizing the conditions for online assessments. Particularly, the use of online
assessments at the summative level is not widely accepted or promoted and thus practiced. Required

adjustments for effective online assessments should be introduced taking the scientific analysis of
feedback of students and assessors' experience on such assessments into account. Recently, the

Industrial Placement Committee of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna conducted a

summative level, online presentation-evaluation for the undergraduates of three-degree programmes.
The objective of this study was to analyze the student feedback and the conditions that were arranged

for the above assessment, with the view of optimizing online assessments.

62