The Future of Education: How Online Exams Are Shaping Learning

Projects, assignments, self-study, and tuition and coaching classes take up the maximum amount of students’ lives. All the effort and hard work goes into learning and qualifying for the summative examination. But is that the sole purpose of the examination? Is it only to assess their learning?

The purpose of examination goes beyond assessing subject knowledge; on the contrary, it helps to evaluate their overall development. The future of education lies in ensuring students’ comprehensive development, and that is where the online examination system plays a vital role.

How Online Exams Are Shaping Learning

1. Continuous Student Evaluation

The traditional examination system relies heavily on paper-and-pen exams, which provide limited scope for assessing students’ abilities. In stark contrast, online exams allow teachers to implement a variety of methods to assess their intelligence and progress.

One of the primary steps towards achieving academic goals is tracking their ongoing progress. Teachers can implement a continuous and comprehensive evaluation. Besides, the evaluation technique includes scholastic and co-scholastic assessments.

The scholastic assessment includes activities related to different subjects within the academic curriculum. Therefore, the teacher motivates students to participate in various activities with respect to all subject areas.

Apart from using conventional paper-based tests, they can use online assessments by incorporating the following methods:

• Individual assessment: The teacher allots specific activities or tasks to individual students that they must complete within a given time limit.
• Group assessment: The teacher divides the classroom into groups of four or five and works together to complete a task.
• Self-assessment is an ideal method for self-introspection that students can use to examine their progress and gain an understanding of their skills and knowledge.
• Peer assessment: Students work in pairs to assess each other's answers to a test and provide feedback on them.

Teachers can use the online exam software to implement the above methods in the online mode. Additionally, they can keep track of the assessment outcomes.

2. Streamlined Examination

Weeks and months go into preparing paper-based conventional examinations, putting pressure on the admin, especially when they are busy with multiple duties. Furthermore, teachers also require time to set the question papers and check the answer sheets after the exam.

The online exam software streamlines the pre- and post-examination facilities, helping to reduce time and effort. The software comes with advanced features, enabling you to create a variety of questions in different formats.

Furthermore, teachers can use the tool to create questions that are in line with specific learning objectives. Therefore, it allows them to check whether students are on the right track or if they have gone off track.

As a result, they don’t have to focus on manual tasks and concentrate their energy on facilitating improved instructional approaches. Thus, it contributes to an efficient examination method and enhances the teaching and learning techniques simultaneously.

3. AI-Integrated Assessments

Is it possible to improve every student’s performance in the class? The question is worth considering, especially when it is challenging to dedicate attention to individual students. The outdated or traditional methods are insufficient to achieve that aim.

Nonetheless, accomplishing that goal is possible with advanced tools like ERP software, which automates administrative activities. Moreover, it provides a platform to collect, maintain, and monitor student data and activities.

On top of that, incorporating the exam software with built-in AI features allows teachers to:

• Analyse each student’s performance.
• Identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• Provide customised learning plans to improve their learning habits.
• Design examinations according to the learning needs of the students, aiding them to improve their shortcomings.
• AI-driven exam tools improve accuracy in the evaluation process.

4. Personalised Feedback

The post-examination procedure is a significant part of the assessment structure, wherein teachers check and evaluate the answer sheets. Also, it is the most time-consuming and tedious part of the process.

On the other hand, students often have to wait for months to know how they did on their tests, followed by individual teachers' remarks. The evaluation mechanism has evolved over the years and will continue to do so to enhance the future of learning.

For instance, advanced online examination management tools provide adaptive learning algorithms. These algorithms track students’ progress and understanding through data and analytics and assist in facilitating the following:

• They track the learner’s engagement with the material.
• The time that students took to answer particular questions.
• Teachers can provide personalised feedback to the students and highlight the areas that require further improvement.
• Students can gain insight into their weak areas and timely guidance from their respective teachers.

5. Authentic Assessment

Instances of cheating and malpractice are common in both forms of exams (online and offline), and the institute strives to prevent them at all costs. However, despite all their efforts, some students still find creative ways to cheat during exams.

Nonetheless, protecting the integrity of examinations is crucial to ensuring the institute’s reputation. Hence, online exam software is the perfect solution to prevent any misdemeanours during the examination.

The software comes with advanced proctoring features that help to provide a secure online examination environment with the following functions:

• The audio and video recording feature records student activity throughout the examination.
• Live proctoring features allow the institute-appointed examiner to monitor student activity from remote locations.
• It detects suspicious behaviour and unauthorised communication.
• The knowledge of being continuously monitored creates self-awareness among students, so they refrain from indulging in cheating or fraudulent activities.

6. Scalable Examination

Online courses and online learning have expanded in recent years, and future trends suggest further exploration. Therefore, institutes must take the necessary steps to facilitate the smooth operation of both traditional and online courses.

Utilising ERP software will allow them to integrate programmes and courses that students can access from various locations. Furthermore, institutes can conduct continuous exams without worrying about technical issues.

The software allows integration with exam tools with high scalability. Hence, it aids in conducting multiple examinations within a single day. Several batches of students from different classes can take the exam without worrying about technical hassles.

7. Tracks Overall Development

The examination and education system has shifted towards a strategic approach wherein the focus is on students' academic and personal growth. Therefore, teachers develop exams to assess students’ psychosocial and interpersonal skills.

Hence, they can create varied multimedia-based questions, including videos and audio, to assess their analytical ability, critical thinking skills, coping ability, etc.