The COVID-19 pandemic forced Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to adopt alternative approaches to the delivery of their learning activities, including examinations. Many HEIs choose Remote Electronic Examinations (REEs) as a one-way solution due to physical presence restriction measures imposed by governments around the world. The present study…

This paper reports findings from a research study at The Open University, UK into the quality of distance learners' online exam experience and the differences in experience between online (pandemic) and in-person (pre-pandemic) modes of examination. Our research responds to the ongoing need for greater insight into the exam experience and…

The study investigated student reaction to the alternative mechanics survey (AMS), a modified force concept inventory, which used automatically marked free-response questions and offered limited feedback to students after their answers had been submitted. Eight participants were observed in completing the AMS, and they were interviewed to gain…

There is a growing body of research that suggests that improving the quality of online formative assessment strategies increases students' motivation to participate in online assessment. However, the way in which course leaders at open distance learning universities communicate the expectations of learning to students through online formative…

The present study investigated the need of digital technologies for the distance learners of AIOU (Allama Iqbal Open University), and the challenges in its implementation. Within mixed-method approach, an explanatory sequential design was employed to conduct this study. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires from 963 students to…

Open University Malaysia (OUM) is progressively moving towards implementing assessment on demand and online assessment. This move is deemed necessary for OUM to continue to be the leading provider of flexible learning. OUM serves a very large number of students each semester and these students are vastly distributed throughout the country. As the…

In this article, the use of formative and summative online quizzes within a distance learning introductory mathematics module at the UK Open University is described. The rational for introducing such quizzes is outlined, together with how the quizzes are embedded within the module. The use of the quizzes by students is analysed, in terms of the…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of students on the implementation of e-examination and their preparedness for facilitation through a web-based learning platform at the National Open University of Nigeria. Information gathered from the year three and year four students who registered for courses in English Literature in…

The study addressed two questions: what is the ICT level of confidence of the course specialists handling Open University classes, and to what extent do course specialists integrated ICT applications such as word processing, electronic spread sheet, presentation software, YouTube and etc. in their OUS classes? The instruments were administered to…

Inspection of thousands of student responses to computer-marked assessment questions has brought insight into the errors made by adult distance learners of science. Most of the questions analysed were in summative use and required students to construct their own response. Both of these things increased confidence in the reliability of the…

In mid-2009, the NOUN (National Open University of Nigeria) reached the decision to shift from conventional (that is, pen-and-paper) examination to electronic examination in the conduct of the end of semester examinations. One of the major factors prompting this decision is the inability of the university to release the results of past…

Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs) are in use on a range of Science Faculty level 1 modules at the Open University UK, alongside tutor-marked assignments, for summative and formative purposes. They are also used diagnostically to help prospective students to make an appropriate choice of starting point. iCMAs have been very well…

Teaching-learning process is incomplete without effective and meaningful assessment of students learning outcomes. This applies to both conventional modes of education as well as to open and distance learning modes. So far, conduct of examinations at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has been cumbersome and be-decked with "hydra…

The XX IDEA annual conference has been focused and reflected on different ways and means of meeting various kinds of methodological challenges, new technologies and multi-media developments, newly emerging partnerships and collaboration between emerging sectors on one hand and between the institutions functioning with similar objectives and…

Thirty-four papers explore flexible learning and its applications in higher education in the United Kingdom. The papers are: "Flexible Learning: Your Flexible Friend! Keynote Address" (Ellington); "Flexible Learning or Learning to be Flexible?" (Chalkley); "Virtually There: Flexible Learning in the New Millennium"…