(NON)COMPUTER-ORIENTED TESTING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: VIEWS OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS ON (IN)CONVENIENCE USING

Abstract

The article focuses the problems of using computer-based testing learning outcomes under modern conditions of accelerated development of distance and blended learning. The aim of the study is to identify and compare the views of the participants of the educational process  in higher education (students, PhD students, university teachers) on convenience using during computer-based testing as compared to paper-based testing and oral-based testing. The author included 3206 respondents in the anonymous online survey in 2020-2023, including 2897 students (Bachelor and Master students), 140 PhD students, and 169 university teachers; used IBM SPSS Statistics 23 for statistical analyses. There are research results: the convenience of testing improves in the direction (the mean values of convenience and the corresponding percentages of respondents): computer-based testing – students (М=3,68; 58,3%) → university teachers (M=3,81; 65,7%) → PhD students (M=4,31; 84,3%); paper-based testing – students (M=3,21; 42,2%) → PhD students (M=3,28; 44,3%) → university teachers (M=3,46; 54,6%); oral-based testing – students (M=2,49; 19,9%) → PhD students (M=2,84; 31,4%) → university teachers (M=3,69; 60,8%). Oral-based testing is the least convenient for students and PhD students. Paper-based testing is the least convenient for university teachers. Respondents have maximum convenience during computer-based testing for all studied groups. The t-test shows a statistically significant difference (p≤0,05) of the convenience testing in the majority of compared independent groups (students, PhD students, university teachers). The author obtained the results in dynamics over four years: convenience increases in the direction oral-based testing → paper-based testing → computer-based testing for all groups according to various characteristics (educational level, gender, specialty, form of education, year of the survey). The study shows that in most cases there are no statistically significant differences (p≤0,05) of the convenience testing in the following cases: between all independent students groups for all testing forms according to the feature «form of education»; according to the feature «academic performance level» for computer-based testing. We believe that the obtained results regarding the (in)convenience testing of participants in the educational process should be taken into account in the practice of higher education institutions.