An examination of the impact of COVID-19 on assessment practices in higher education
Open Access
- 8 October 2022
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in European Journal of Higher Education
- Vol. 14 (1), 101-121
- https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2125422
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid pivot to online learning across many higher education institutions globally. This paper investigates to what extent assessment strategies changed as a result of this pivot. It explores the case of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) in Ireland and finds that 95% of respondents altered their assessment practices in some way. Beyond identifying changing practice, the paper also develops a TARC (Typology of Assessment Responses to COVID-19) model which shows four categories of responses. Reactors are those academics who simply moved their assessments online. Adaptive Responders modified assessments slightly for the online environment. While Opportunists are those who used the opportunity of the pandemic to implement strategies they had been considering, the Committed Innovators engage in innovation in teaching and assessment strategies on an ongoing basis and, thus, they continued to do what they always did. The key factors that were considered in the decision-making about how to alter assessment strategies were pedagogical, practical considerations and the availability of support.This publication has 50 references indexed in Scilit:
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