Rhetorical relationships with students: A higher education case study of perceptions of online assessment in mathematics

Brown, K. and Lally, V. (2018) Rhetorical relationships with students: A higher education case study of perceptions of online assessment in mathematics. Research in Comparative and International Education, 13(1), pp. 7-26. (doi: 10.1177/1745499918761938)

Abstract

Some students perceive that online assessment does not provide for a true reflection of their work effort. This article reports on a collaborative international project between two higher education institutions with the aim of researching issues relating to engineering student perceptions with respect to online assessment of mathematics. It provides a comparison between students of similar educational standing in Finland and Ireland. The students undertook to complete questionnaires and a sample of students was selected to participate in several group discussion interviews. Evidence from the data suggests that many of the students demonstrate low levels of confidence, do not display knowledge of continuous assessment processes and perceive many barriers when confronted with online assessment in their first semester. Alternative perspectives were sought from lecturers by means of individual interviews. The research indicates that perceptions of effort and reward as seen by students are at variance with those held by lecturers. The study offers a brief insight into the thinking of students in the first year of their engineering mathematics course. It may be suggested that alternative approaches to curriculum and pedagogical design are necessary to alleviate student concerns.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Education
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Brown, Kenneth and Lally, Professor Victor
• Authors: Brown, K., and Lally, V.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Interdisciplinary Science Education Technologies and Learning
• Journal Name: Research in Comparative and International Education
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1745-4999
• ISSN (Online): 1745-4999
• Published Online: 19 March 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Research in Comparative and International Education 13(1): 7-26
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher