The University of Namibia has implemented a transformed curriculum that has adopted a blended learning approach for all its programmes and for the majority of the modules. UNAM uses the Moodle learning management system (LMS) as the official digital/ virtual learning environment. An LMS hosts all the courses that students register for, and it is on the LMS where they access course learning materials, interact with lecturers and fellow students, attend virtual classes, complete learning activities, as well as submit their assessment tasks.

Despite these affordances offered by the Moodle LMS, some lecturers still prefer for students to print their assignments and submit them on paper. There is, however, a strong case FOR moving assessment online, with benefits for students, lecturers, Faculties/Schools, and the University as a whole. One of the common argument lecturers use for preferring printed assignments is that it is easier for them to grade/ mark as they do not need to be online all the time to do the marking. Having marked printed student work over the years, it is also simply a case of a convenient habit for lecturers. Unfortunately, there are a lot of drawbacks when we continue with the practice of printed academic work. These include, but not limited to:

1. 1. Printing costs on students

   2. Facility costs such as printing machine services, paper and ink

   3. Inability for lecturers to check potential plagiarism in students’ work

   4. Challenges with storage of student assignments for records keeping

   5. Logistics of assignment submission where students must physically take their assignments to the lecturer’s office/ class

   6. Risk of loss or misplacement of student assignments

   7. Deprivation of students from receiving feedback from a text-matching software on their draft work for further improvement, etc.

So, what are the benefits of adopting online assessment – whereby students submit their assignments or research reports on the Moodle LMS?

Benefits for the student

1. 1. Submitting the assignment from anywhere they have internet access

   2. Convenience of using the same digital platform for learning and for assessment

   3. Opportunities for students to receive feedback from Turnitin on similarity reports, thereby enabling them to make improvements

   4. Enhanced possibilities to discuss the assignment feedback with the lecturer (Moodle provides option for discussing an assignment with the student) thereby enriching the quality and enhancing clarity of feedback (see “Comments” on the Figure 1 below)

   5. Offering a safer storage and archival process of student assignments (assignments done up to 5 years earlier are still accessible on Moodle), enabling students to address assessment record disputes, etc.

Figure 1: Comments feature on a Moodle assignment the support discusion with student on specific assignment

Benefits for the lecturer

1. 1. Receiving all students’ assignments in one central place

   2. Managing assignment deadlines effectively

   3. Access to system records on student assignment submission behaviour using learning and assessment analytics for insight into assignment submission patterns

   4. Enhanced ability to scan students’ assignments for potential plagiarism

   5. Ability to grade/ mark from anywhere with internet access

   6. Efficient record keeping of assessment grades for upload to ITS

   7. Opportunities to develop common feedback remarks to reuse on various assignments with similar quality/ issues

   8. Enhanced opportunities for receiving moderation feedback and support from peers, Heads of Departments or moderators from anywhere in world

   9. Enhanced opportunities to provide feedback in multiple media formats (apart from text, lecturers can give feedback using audio or video clips) (see Figure 2 below)

   10. Enhanced opportunities for collaboration with post-graduate mentees, senior students or tutors to assist with grading, etc.

Figure 2: Multiple media formats to provide feedback to students in Moodle – audio and video

Benefits for the School

1. 1. Enhanced quality assurance monitoring mechanisms

   2. Opportunities for identifying students at risk more efficiently

   3. Easier access to data for better reporting

   4. Better assessment moderation opportunities

   5. Better use of analytics to monitor fulfilment of student achievement targets

   6. Enhanced transparency of student assessment and feedback processes

   7. Enhanced lecturer commitment to quality in the knowledge of how transparent the system is

   8. Enhanced opportunities to monitor student progression

   9. Reduced chances of assessment irregularities, etc.

Benefits for the institution

1. 1. Opportunities for reducing costs on printing and achieving paperless initiatives and policies

   2. Enhanced assessment quality assurance mechanisms through better monitoring and evaluation of processes

   3. Promotion of academic integrity among students and staff

   4. Better opportunities for measuring and monitoring how assessment practices are contributing to students’ learning experiences

   5. Enhanced opportunities for collecting and analysing student feedback on assessment

   6. Enhanced opportunities for monitoring the implementation of assessment policies, etc.

Old habits may be difficult to change, but on the balancing scale, the benefits of moving student assessment online do outweigh the convenience marking printed assignments, and the perceived difficulties of grading online. The Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching offers training and digital transition support to both lecturers and students to enable them to achieve this shift. Try online assessment today and reap the benefits.

Start here:

Guide on setting up Moodle assignment: Using Moodle Assignment