About this Research Topic
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust education and the particular focus here, online assessment, into the limelight. Traditional adoption maturity frameworks cannot be applied as educational institutions have been forced to adapt to a radically changed environment immediately. The careful evaluation of pedagogy and assessment approaches with robust
academic debate has been eschewed by the demands for digital solutions, digital infrastructure development and upskilling.
The risks and long-term impact of such rapid evolution are unclear. They are unprecedented, similar to our lack of knowledge about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the human body, wellness, and socio-economic development. A utilitarian, techno-centric approach predominates in immediate response, survival, and reduced damage to the education system.
Online assessment’s psychometric basis, ethics, social justice, and quality assurance has suffered neglect in the face of rapid change.
This Research Topic aims to create a space for rigorous academic debate concerning online assessment in the online environment, which currently dominates instructional practices all over the world. The fourth industrial revolution has firmly embedded itself in current psychometric, assessment and proctoring practices. The online environment and digital
devices have become a function of necessity. This collection explores a wide range of topics related to online assessment. Providing conceptual depth to the debate. The unprecedented scope and nature of the current COVID-19 pandemic driven change have made us aware of the global nature of the impact on education and particularly assessment. Educational institutions have an accreditation function that demands high quality, relevant, appropriate, equitable, ethical and trustworthy assessment, feedback, grading and results. The new chapter in assessment offers possibilities but also pitfalls and long-term threats. These include the dangers of invasiveness, bias, and structural inequality seen in some online proctoring systems. The influence on online assessment on performance, anxiety and academic integrity are unclear.
This Research Topic encourages conceptual, descriptive, and opinion-based contributions, although empirical work will be considered. This is due to the renewed debate on online assessment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. A wide range of paradigms and methodologies are welcome, covering a host of topics.
This includes, but is not limited to, the following relating to online assessment:
• Power, privacy and ethics in online invigilation (proctoring)
• Algorithms and platforms
• Structural violence, gender, ethics, race, socio-economic challenges
• The future of assessment
• Instrument design, issues of validity, reliability, and trustworthiness.
• Intersectionality of gender, race, socio-economic status, access, digital skills, social justice, agency, and the growing digital divide.
• Experience and learnings from online assessment
academic debate has been eschewed by the demands for digital solutions, digital infrastructure development and upskilling.
The risks and long-term impact of such rapid evolution are unclear. They are unprecedented, similar to our lack of knowledge about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the human body, wellness, and socio-economic development. A utilitarian, techno-centric approach predominates in immediate response, survival, and reduced damage to the education system.
Online assessment’s psychometric basis, ethics, social justice, and quality assurance has suffered neglect in the face of rapid change.
This Research Topic aims to create a space for rigorous academic debate concerning online assessment in the online environment, which currently dominates instructional practices all over the world. The fourth industrial revolution has firmly embedded itself in current psychometric, assessment and proctoring practices. The online environment and digital
devices have become a function of necessity. This collection explores a wide range of topics related to online assessment. Providing conceptual depth to the debate. The unprecedented scope and nature of the current COVID-19 pandemic driven change have made us aware of the global nature of the impact on education and particularly assessment. Educational institutions have an accreditation function that demands high quality, relevant, appropriate, equitable, ethical and trustworthy assessment, feedback, grading and results. The new chapter in assessment offers possibilities but also pitfalls and long-term threats. These include the dangers of invasiveness, bias, and structural inequality seen in some online proctoring systems. The influence on online assessment on performance, anxiety and academic integrity are unclear.
This Research Topic encourages conceptual, descriptive, and opinion-based contributions, although empirical work will be considered. This is due to the renewed debate on online assessment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. A wide range of paradigms and methodologies are welcome, covering a host of topics.
This includes, but is not limited to, the following relating to online assessment:
• Power, privacy and ethics in online invigilation (proctoring)
• Algorithms and platforms
• Structural violence, gender, ethics, race, socio-economic challenges
• The future of assessment
• Instrument design, issues of validity, reliability, and trustworthiness.
• Intersectionality of gender, race, socio-economic status, access, digital skills, social justice, agency, and the growing digital divide.
• Experience and learnings from online assessment
Keywords: Assessment, Technology, Social Justice, Assessment Integrity, psychometrics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
