Measurement and Evaluation

  On October 28, 2020, a webinar was organized by the Language Research Center. The presenters were Dr. Rizwana Wahid and Ms. Qudsia Zaini. They spoke on the subject of Quality Parameters for Blackboard Evaluation based on a case study they had conducted.   Wahid and Zaini's paper attempted to explore how teachers justify online learning effectiveness and learner performance quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before they began their main presentation, they raised a question regarding the authenticity of Blackboard exams in evaluating students' learning and performance.   They stated the challenges involved in conducting remote online exams as far as fairness and validity are concerned. They explained quality parameters that involve multiple strategies and activities to evaluate students' readiness and progress of learning outcomes.   The study was significant, they said, because of the challenges teachers experience while teaching and giving their students exams online. Their paper's major objectives were the investigation of quality parameters to ensure online exam quality, finding the best ways to assess students during the pandemic, and the exploration of the proper ways to justify students' performance in online distance exams. While highlighting the literature review, they mentioned Frazer, Dickinson & Gronseth, and Chang had discussed and emphasized practical approaches to online teaching.   Wahid and Zaini discussed some solutions previously considered difficult or impossible to implement that teachers now use in accurately assessing their students, whether the students really deserve the grades they get by taking online exams, and how the availability of the Internet affects such exams. In response to the questionnaire, most of the teachers expressed their opinion in favor of traditional face-to-face teaching, they said. There were, however, some mixed opinions as well, some of which were in favor of online assessment. To overcome the difficulties experienced by teachers, they made some recommendations. Implementing strategies to increase test security, using the timer effectively, creating larger test pools, randomizing questions, and using Blackboard's "SafeAssign" option may solve the problems associated with online assessment, they added.   They concluded that one of the most important criterion of quality assurance and academic accreditation is ensuring that teaching/learning strategies and assessment methods are aligned with the intended learning outcomes at the program and course levels. They added that the teachers should evaluate the quality of learning, exams, and assignments for every course while ensuring learning strategies are student-centered.   It was an informative webinar and a great success with the active participation of male and female faculty members from the Bachelor of Arts in English program. Date: 10/29/2020 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique

The Faculty of Languages and Translation's Fall 2018 semester is officially closed. This first half of the school year has been marked with considerable successes and improvements in the college.   The college has made great strides in foundational quality improvements. Several course specifications in the department, syllabi, and student learning outcomes have been updated. Also, course specifications in the English Language Center have been modified in cooperation with the relevant colleges served by the English Language Center. These changes were implemented to improve the student experience and enhance the educational value for their future academic and career endeavors. In addition, measurement and evaluation tools for all courses have been implemented pursuant to the highest standards of leading universities throughout the world. Our international cooperation efforts have been expanded as evidenced by the continuing negotiations for a major joint venture with the University of Swansea led by Vice Dean, Dr. Yahya Asiri. 'The Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to continuous improvement in all programs', said Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation has realized many process improvements concerning examinations within the department and the English Language Center. The Exam Committee has put a great emphasis on maintaining test integrity and security. There are strict quality control guidelines to ensure that all examinations are consistent, thorough, and fair to the students. An emphasis on test security has greatly reduced incidents of cheating and accidental disclosure of testing material. In addition, the examination process went very smoothly at the end of the semester. Vice Dean Asiri said 'I thank the Exam Committee and all of our faculty for their hard work and emphasis on making the final examinations secure, fair, and an accurate measure of student performance. It is a difficult undertaking, but all of our faculty members are committed and achieved excellent results'. Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, noted that this semester saw a reduction in cheating cases due to tighter process controls and faculty vigilance.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to continuous improvement in language education and the student experience. We are at the forefront of program and process evaluation and development. Despite these successes, we will not rest on our laurels. We look forward to even more improvements in the semesters to come.   All students, faculty, staff, and administrators have certainly earned and need time to rest. Everybody have a great week off! Date: 1/1/2019 Source: FLT Digital Ambassador