Analysis of teachers in the use of digital resources in online teaching and assessment in COVID times

Abstract

The study considered the use of online learning applications for instructional delivery and assessment purposes in higher institutions of learning that stimulates a new atmosphere where lecturers could utilize these facilities to promote learning. The study also determined the gender difference between lecturers use of online learning applications for instructional delivery and classroom assessment in a post-covid context. The digital applications analyzed in this study include Google classroom, Email, Moodle, Canvas, Google, Microsoft Team, Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webinar, Facebook groups, Open Educational Resources (OERs), Google docs, Google slide, WhatsApp and Telegram Channel. At present, however, opinions are divided over the extent to which lecturers utilize these online learning applications in instruction and assessment. A descriptive survey research design was adopted with 152 participants (n = 88 males and n = 64 females) for the study and the instrument used for data collection was Utilization of Online Leaning Applications in Classroom Instruction and Continuous Assessment Questionnaire (UOLACICAQ). On December 2021, the participants completed the Questionnaire. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha and the reliability index of .93 was obtained. Results of the study show a low extent of utilization of online learning applications in classroom instruction and continuous assessment (Canvas, Microsoft Team, Google Meet, Cisco Webinar, OERs, Google slide, Telegram Channel, Facebook groups, Moodle, Google Classroom, learning management systems, Google forms and Google sheet). There was however, a significant difference between male and female lecturers' use of online learning applications for continuous assessment. Lecturers’ utilization of online learning applications in instruction and assessment of learning will expose them to different online learning applications used in delivery instructions and assessing students’ learning. The research supplies good idea of the instrument for measuring those staked learning outcomes in higher institution. However, lecturers do not differ in terms of the extent to which they use online learning applications while delivering instructions in the classroom based on gender.