The student evaluation process: A comparison of ODL and the traditional learning mode

Aisha Ismail, Rahila Hanif and Sadaf Chouhdary
Virtual University of Pakistan
Lahore, Pakistan

In educational systems, students' learning performance is monitored through assessment activities such as assignments, quizzes, class discussions and examinations conducted throughout the semester. Transparent and timely student assessment plays an important role in enhancing the quality of education by providing guidelines to the teachers and institutions for their future endeavours. The significance of student evaluation increases in ODL, as compared to traditional learning, due to limited student-teacher interaction. Effective evaluation involves the assessment of factors such as correctness and originality of content, student effort, measures of high-level skills and immediate feedback. In this study, the student evaluation system is analysed on these dimensions, with a further comparison of the ODL and traditional learning modes. Educational institutes can improve their student evaluation systems by blending the positive aspects of both modes. The outcomes of this study can assist institutions to improve their evaluation processes and enhance the quality of their educational provision.