Najeh Rajeh Al Salhi

Online assessment is a new introduction in many developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Malaysia, Lithuania, and Spain. The current study conducted a phenomenology study to probe insights about fairness in online assessment. The interview data were interpreted from the perspective of social psychology theory that emphasizes distributional, procedural, and interaction justice. The study selected participants through purposive sampling techniques. Distributional justice revealed that grading seems fair when students experience multiple assessments, clear rubrics, and effective feedback from lecturers. In distributional justice students experience injustice when there are unclear expectations of assessment. Regarding procedural justice, students’ unfairness was related to limited time, technical problems, and unclear assessment expectations. Interactional justice was related to privacy in communicating grades and weak interaction during the assessment. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the elements that influence students’ views of fairness and methods to improve assessment during online assessment in a university setting.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to switch to online learning for the safety of their citizens. The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between four indicators of digital learning experience and the intensity of student socio-pedagogical communication after the transition to distance learning. The data were collected from Ajman University, a private university in the UAE, during the spring of 2020. The sample consisted of 381 students who were surveyed using an online survey tool or email. First, this study found that the majority of students had access to digital tools and the Internet; however, a small number struggled with weak and unreliable Internet connection. Most students had a moderate to high ability to use digital technology, but some encountered difficulties and required assistance. Most students utilised digital communication tools for over five hours daily. The study also found a general lack of digital competency among students and difficulties in using digital tools for remote learning, highlighting the importance of investing in the development of digital skills. The study also found an intensification of social relationships and an increase in communication frequency between students and instructors; however, inadequate instructor–student communication remained a challenge. Finally, the multiple linear regression model showed that indicators such as the communication dimension of the lessons and the participatory nature of the courses positively impacted the intensity of student communication after the transition to distance learning.