Students perceptions of Covid-19-related change to the assessment model in the postgraduate diploma (Accounting Science)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20853/39-3-6414Keywords:
assessment, assignment skills, critical thinking, learning process, formative assessment, acade, academic performanceAbstract
With the advent of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (Covid-19), several higher education institutions worldwide amended their modes of teaching and learning and the administering of assessments. This research was aimed at determining students’ perception of the changes in the assessment model from a sit-down assessment to an online assignment due to Covid-19, with specific reference to the Postgraduate Diploma (Accounting Science). It also aimed to gain insight into the self-reflection procedures that students employed with the different assessments. The study employed a quantitative approach using a survey and quantitative content analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions. Data was collected by sending out a questionnaire to three different population groups, covering both the 2020 and the 2021 class groups. The findings from the questionnaires revealed that both assessment types held advantages, as traditional assessments prepare students for future assessments, whereas assignments prove most advantageous in fostering critical thinking skills and relieving time pressure. The assignment developed certain competencies and skills not otherwise developed, and a combination of both assessments is preferable going forward.
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References
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Gibbs, Graham, and Claire Simpson. 2005. “Conditions under which Assessment Supports Students’ Learning.” Learning and Teaching in Higher Education 1.
Iannone, Paola, and Adrian Simpson. 2016. “University Students’ Perceptions of Summative Assessment: The Role of Context.” Journal of Further and Higher Education 41 (6): 785–801. https://doi.o https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2016.1177172
Jansen, Renée S., Anouschka van Leeuwen, Jeroen Janssen, Suzanne Jak, and Liesbeth Kester. 2019. “Self-regulated Learning Partially Mediates the Effect of Self-regulated Learning Interventions on Achievement in Higher Education: A Meta-analysis.” Educational Research Review 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100292
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Shepard, Lorrie A. 2000. “The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture.” Educational Research 29 (7): 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X029007004
Strauss-Keevy, Monique. 2014. “Education Programmes Responsibilities Regarding Pervasive Skills.” Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences 7 (2): 415–432.
Struyven, Katrien, Filip Dochy, and Steven Janssens. 2005. “Students’ Perceptions about Evaluation and Assessment in Higher Education: A Review.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 30 (4): 331–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930500099102
Sullivan, Daniel F., and Kate D. McConnell. 2017. “Big Progress in Authentic Assessment, But by Itself Not Enough.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 49 (1): 14–25.
Sullivan, Daniel F., and Kate D. McConnell. 2018. “It’s the Assignment: A Ubiquitous and Inexpensive Strategy to Significantly Improve Higher-order Learning.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 50 (5): 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2018.1510257
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Terblanche, Judith, and Yusef Waghid. (2021). “Chartered accountancy and resistance in South Africa”. South African Journal of Higher Education 35(3): https://doi.org/10.20853/35-3-3894
Thomas, Theda. 2011. “Developing First Year Students’ Critical Thinking Skills.” Asian Social Science VII 7(4): 26–35. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v7n4p26
Waghid, Yusef, and Nuraan Davids. 2020. “The Thinking University Expanded: On Profanation, Play and Education”. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001850
Black, Paul, and Dylan Wiliam. 1998. “Inside the black box: Raising standards through Classroom Assessment.” Phi Delta Kappan 80 (2): 139–148.
Bloom, Benjamin S. 1960. Learning for Mastery. Durham: Regional Education Laboratory for the Carolinas and Virginia.
Boston, Carol. 2019. “The Concept of Formative Assessment.” Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation 8 (9). https://doi.org/10.7275/kmcq-dj31
Bransford, John D., Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking. 2000. How People Learn. Washington: National Academy Press.
Brown, Nathaniel J.S., Peter P. Afflerbach, and Robert G. Croninger. 2014. “Assessment of Critical-analytic Thinking.” Education Psychology Review 26: 543–560.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9280-4
Creswell, John W. 2007. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage.
Davies, Anne, Kerry Pantzopoulos, and Kathleen Gray. 2011. “Emphasising assessment ‘as’ learning by assessing wiki writing assignments collaboratively and publicly online.” Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 27 (5): 798-812. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.932
Duplass, James A., and Dana L. Ziedler. 2002. “Critical Thinking and Logical Argument.” Social Education 66 (5).
Durkin, Lauren. 2021. “The Imperfect Practice of Assessment in Higher Education.” Assessment Update 33 (5): 6 - 13. https://doi.org/10.1002/au.30270
Earl, Lorna. 2004. Assessment as Learning. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
El-Wageeh, Sherif. 2014. “Integrating Weighted Learning Outcomes in Assignment Design: Does It Help Students.” The Online Journal of Quality in Higher Education 1 (3): 16 - 23.
Gardner, John. 2021. Assessment and Learning. 2nd ed. London: Sage.
Gibbs, Graham, and Claire Simpson. 2005. “Conditions under which Assessment Supports Students’ Learning.” Learning and Teaching in Higher Education 1.
Iannone, Paola, and Adrian Simpson. 2016. “University Students’ Perceptions of Summative Assessment: The Role of Context.” Journal of Further and Higher Education 41 (6): 785–801. https://doi.o https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2016.1177172
Jansen, Renée S., Anouschka van Leeuwen, Jeroen Janssen, Suzanne Jak, and Liesbeth Kester. 2019. “Self-regulated Learning Partially Mediates the Effect of Self-regulated Learning Interventions on Achievement in Higher Education: A Meta-analysis.” Educational Research Review 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100292
Kniveton, Bromley H. 1996. “Student Perceptions of Assessment Methods.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 21 (3): 229–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293960210303
Lee, Pak, and Sunisa Thathong. 2017. “Teaching Critical Thinking in Accounting Classes: Asian Higher Education Context.” Catalyst 16: 53–64.
Marx, Benjamin. 2008. “An Analysis of the Development, Status and Functioning of Audit Committees at Large Listed Companies in South Africa.” PhD thesis, University of Johannesburg.
Mashonganyika, D, and Tenson Muyambo. 2022. “The Effects of Covid-19 on Higher Education: Experiences of Family and Religious Studies Final Year Students at Great Zimbabwe University.” South African Journal of Higher Education 36 (4): 173–187.
https://doi.org/10.20853/36-4-5240
Masina, Rumbidzayi, and A Mawonedzo. 2022. “The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on TVET Students’ Learning Process: A Case of One Polytechnic College in Harare.” South African Journal of Higher Education 36 (4): 101–116. https://doi.org/10.20853/36-4-5185
Meda, Lawrence, and Zayd Waghid. 2022. “Exploring special need students’ perceptions of remote learning using the multimodal model of online education”. Education and Information Technologies 27, 8111–8128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10962-4
Meeran, Safura, and Mogamat Davids. 2022. “Covid-19 Catalysing Assessment Transformation: A Case of the Online Open Book Examination.” South African Journal of Higher Education 36 (3): 109–122.
Morris, Rebecca, Thomas Perry, and Lindsey Wardle. 2021. "Formative assessment and feedback for learning in higher education: A systematic review." Review of Education 9(3) e3292. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3292
Nkoutchou, Huhue, and Riette Eiselen. 2012. “Retirement Saving Behaviour of Young Adults in the Financial Sector.” Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences 5 (1): 31–48.
Nzimande, Blade. 2020. “Government Gazette Vol 660” Accessed June 8, 2023. : https://archive.opengazettes.org.za/archive/ZA/2020/government-gazette-ZA-vol-660-no-43414-dated-2020-06-08.pdf
Rutz, Carol, William Condon, Ellen Iverson R., Cathryn Manduca A., and Gudrun Willett. 2012. “Faculty Professional Development and Student Learning WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP?”. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. 44 (3): 40 - 47.
SAICA. 2021. “Guidance on the Content, Development and Assessment of Competencies in the Academic Programme.” Accessed 7 September 2021. https://ca2025.co.za/ca2025/
Schafersman, Steven D. 1991. An Introduction to Critical Thinking. Accessed 20 October 2021. https://facultycenter.ischool.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Critical-Thinking.pdf
Schellekens, Lonneke H., Harold G.J. Bok, Lubberta H. de Jong, Marieke F. van der Schaaf, Wim D.J. Kremer, Cees P.M. van der Vleuten. 2021. “A Scoping Review on the Notions of Assessment as Learning (AaL), Assessment for Learning (AfL), and Assessment of Learning (AoL).” Studies in Educational Evaluation 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.101094
Sewall, Angela M., and Tom E.C. Smith. 1998. Effective and Ineffective Assessment Programs in Higher Education.
Shepard, Lorrie A. 2000. “The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture.” Educational Research 29 (7): 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X029007004
Strauss-Keevy, Monique. 2014. “Education Programmes Responsibilities Regarding Pervasive Skills.” Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences 7 (2): 415–432.
Struyven, Katrien, Filip Dochy, and Steven Janssens. 2005. “Students’ Perceptions about Evaluation and Assessment in Higher Education: A Review.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 30 (4): 331–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930500099102
Sullivan, Daniel F., and Kate D. McConnell. 2017. “Big Progress in Authentic Assessment, But by Itself Not Enough.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 49 (1): 14–25.
Sullivan, Daniel F., and Kate D. McConnell. 2018. “It’s the Assignment: A Ubiquitous and Inexpensive Strategy to Significantly Improve Higher-order Learning.” Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 50 (5): 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2018.1510257
Terblanche, Judith. 2019. “Cultivating socially just responsible citizens in relation to university accounting education in South Africa”. Ph.D. thesis, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University
Terblanche, Judith, and Yusef Waghid. (2020). “A Foucauldian analysis of the CA profession in South Africa: Implications for society”. South African Journal of Higher Education 34(1): https://doi.org/10.20853/34-1-3893
Terblanche, Judith, and Yusef Waghid. (2021). “Chartered accountancy and resistance in South Africa”. South African Journal of Higher Education 35(3): https://doi.org/10.20853/35-3-3894
Thomas, Theda. 2011. “Developing First Year Students’ Critical Thinking Skills.” Asian Social Science VII 7(4): 26–35. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v7n4p26
Waghid, Yusef, and Nuraan Davids. 2020. “The Thinking University Expanded: On Profanation, Play and Education”. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001850
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Published
2025-07-04
How to Cite
Wessels, R., M. van Heerden, and M. Hassan. 2025. “Students Perceptions of Covid-19-Related Change to the Assessment Model in the Postgraduate Diploma (Accounting Science)”. South African Journal of Higher Education 39 (3):268-87. https://doi.org/10.20853/39-3-6414.
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