E-Assessment in E-Learning Degrees: Comparison vs. Face-to-Face Assessment through Perceived Stress and Academic Performance in a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become both a challenge and an opportunity to implement certain changes in the world of education. One of the most important differences has been online evaluation, which had, until now, been marginal in most prestigious universities. This study compared the academic achievement of the last cohort that performed classroom assessment and the first group that was graded for an official degree using synchronous online evaluation. Other variables measured were the self-assessment of students in this second group, in order to understand how it affected their perception of the process using three different indicators: stress, difficulty, and fairness. Nine hundred and nineteen students participated in the study. The results indicate that online assessment resulted in grades that were 10% higher while enjoying the same degree of validity and reliability. In addition, stress and difficulty levels were also in line with the on-site experience, as was the perception that the results were fair. The results allow us to conclude that online evaluation, when proctored, provides the same guarantees as desktop exams, with the added bonus of certain advantages which strongly support their continued use, especially in degrees with many students who may come from many different locations.

Measuring the Relation between Academic Performance and Emotional Intelligence at the University Level after the COVID-19 Pandemic Using TMMS-24

“…The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on AP has been analyzed by Sánchez-Cabrero et al [16]. They found, when comparing the results of the 2019-2020 cohort with that of 2020-2021, that the participants from this same Master's Degree had obtained significantly better grades after the pandemic had struck (Fall 2019: M = 7.06, SD = 1.32; Fall 2020: M = 8.41, SD = 1.05).…”

“…The sample does not include students who were unwilling to participate or who were less engaged with their Master's. The improvement that had been witnessed in comparison to pre-pandemic students was attributed to the way exams were designed by Sánchez-Cabrero et al [16]. The pandemic situation warranted new and untested means of examination, which often resulted in simpler testing.…”

“…It is still early to understand the true dimension of the negative effects that the coronavirus pandemic leaves behind [14], but it is timely to ascertain whether this grave, unforeseen and prolonged situation can significantly affect the (EI) of university students, in particular when managing test anxiety (TA), given that final academic evaluation of learning outcomes is notoriously the moment of greatest stress and psychological vulnerability of the alumnus [15][16][17]. If a reduction in EI has a direct impact on the perceived TA and AP, then those who have suffered the pandemic emotionally will confront diminished academic returns as well [18].…”

“…They all highlight the important role that EI plays in properly coping with the isolation derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Its beneficial aspects are not just restricted to health and psychological wellbeing [20,21], but they also have a positive influence on academic stress caused by the inter-mediation of technology [16,19].…”

“…Carrying out research on these factors implies combining the AP indicator that is a final grade with measuring TA synchronously, if possible, during the exam, given that it is a state that is completely dependent on context. Reliability, and hence validity, is drastically diminished the further from the context it is produced [16]. Finally, measuring EI can be done in multiple ways, but the 24 items version of Trait-Meta Mood Scale (TMMS-24) [36] far outstretches their adequacy because it is current, brief, and can be scalable to the young Spanish population [37].…”