Online Language Assessment the Exception, Not the Rule: For Inclusive Language Learning

Abstract

The study investigates teachers’ perceptions of the use of online language assessment (OLA) using technology and examines the scope of using online applications to validate the mode of assessment. It looks for EFL teachers’ opinions of OLA to comprehend the many worries associated with the issues and improve the online assessment tools. The researchers included the teachers who taught and assessed their students online using the Blackboard application at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. The study was descriptive, using an online survey for data collection. Participants were from different colleges and nationalities teaching English to students enrolled in the preparatory course. Descriptive analysis of the open-ended questionnaire and interview data illustrated the salient features of the online assessment were instant feedback, randomized question order, statistical description of the exam, and immediate scores on exam completion. Teachers reported the effectiveness of the online assessment system but with some remedial actions to further improve the online assessment systems. Also, quality prospects, in pandemic-like situations, should not be thought of as offline teaching and challenges in various domains like language assessment security, time limitation, internet accessibility, ethical aspects, digital literacy and expertise, technological failures, and learning outcomes. Finally, the article offers a roadmap for planning, developing, implementing, evaluating, and carrying on research in online language assessment in new and in crisis contexts.