Combing Online and Paper Assessment in a Web-based Course In Undergraduate Mathematics

Abstract

Online assessment in mathematics is becoming more prominent as mathematics and the internet become more compatible. This paper is based on a case study of a web-based calculus course in which a combination of paper and online assessment are used for assessing various activities. The paper firstly investigates what student assessment preferences are and shows that there is a leaning towards a preference for online assessment. Yet, students still show a preference for a combination of online and paper assessment for term tests. Secondly the paper shows that standards are maintained when incorporating an equally weighted online component into the assessment model for the case under consideration. The investigations are conducted from a background of having been involved in teaching online mathematics courses for the last four years.