Frequency of use of online assessment by higher level teachers during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to review how often mathematics teachers use technological tools to assess their students and, the relationship established with the reliability, ease of use, and usefulness that teachers find in them; in order to offer them courses or workshops that allow them to use different tools that help them in the evaluation process, as well as, to show them different options of use for the different moments in their class, such as in diagnostic, formative or summative assessment. Under the paradigm of quantitative research, a questionnaire was applied to a random sample of 12 teachers from a public institution of higher education in Mexico City. All teachers were invited (N=14), but only 12 were able to participate; therefore, there was an 8% margin of error. The application of the questionnaire was during the period of confinement. The reliability of the questionnaire has been validated and Pearson correlation analyzes have been carried out, based on the variables: frequency and ease of use, usefulness, and reliability. The results showed that in the category of medium use, more than half of the teachers in the sample have shown a frequency of regular use of the online assessment tools. A comparison was made with the authors of the reviewed literature and coincidences were found with the answers given by the teachers. For example, there are authors who showed that teachers use ICT more frequently in their classes when they have all the necessary technological skills. Due to the above, various alternatives were proposed that encourage teachers to use it. The higher the frequency of use of online platforms, the greater the utility they find in them. With the results obtained, it is concluded that the frequency of use of online platforms positively influences the development of confidence that teachers must work with these tools.