Abstract:

In this work, we propose the assessment of the evaluation methods used by the authors during the COVID-19 crisis that took place during the second term at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Madrid, Spain. After the outbreak of the pandemic, the authors had to adapt their teaching and, subsequently, their examination procedures, to the new scenario, so that the Maths and Statistics skills of the several degrees where they teach at the URJC could be conveniently evaluated. State-of-the-art software tools were used at various stages of both the online teaching and the evaluation processes, ensuring students would receive the highest quality education and would be examined under fair and rights-based conditions. For instance, the R/exams library http://www.r-exams.org/, part of the Statistics free software package R was used to prepare most of the online tests and exams, taking advantage of the powerful abilities of the Rmarkdown language to prepare highly randomized material, therefore minimizing the chances of cheating. R/exams allows straightforward export to most online teaching platforms, specifically to Moodle format, the one used at URJC.

The use of surveillance tools as e.g. cameras and microphones is controversial because it is considered that they could potentially threaten the students’ privacy. However, as regards the use of cameras, tests were conducted directly on the students’ computers at home, and it was their own cameras which guaranteed that nothing irregular or unlawful occurred during the examination window. To be able to access online tests, students needed a computer with an up-to-date operating system, a compatible web browser, a quality Internet connection and a webcam.

The authors conducted a thorough analysis, comparing the academic results attained by the students during this exceptional examination period with those of previous years. The analysis includes a detailed revision of the different strategies used and of the success achieved when evaluating different types of competences, depending on the specific scientific area. Second-term final grades are compared to previous years, where most teaching was conducted in-classroom, rather than remotely. Different scores are used to illustrate the good performance of the students under these extraordinary circumstances.

Keywords:

Competence evaluation, online exams, R/exams, Moodle.