Abstract:

COVID-19 – the global pandemic virus – which suddenly and disruptively broke into the life of modern human civilization, revolutionized people's habits, lifestyle, professional challenges and all levels of education. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and colleges [1]. Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 [2].

Some experts suggest that the global COVID-19 lockdown has forever changed the system of education, and these changes are for the better. "This pandemic could profoundly change education for the better. Technology turns a laptop screen into a classroom, where students and teachers see each other and can question each other in truly collaborative online learning" [3]. This unexpected new online academic system has also replaced a more traditional model of credits and examinations, especially in higher education. For example, Russian university students faced almost 100% digital testing during their final examination period in the spring semester of 2020.

Therefore, taking into account the above mentioned academic facts and current pandemic circumstances, the purpose of this research is to estimate how effective the system of university students' final examination on digital educational platforms may be. In the course of the research work, an experiment was carried out, including the development and implementation of a series of examination tests on the digital platform Moodle for junior and senior students studying at Moscow State Pedagogical University (MPGU) and Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University).

At the end of the research, we interviewed students on the success or failure of the offered digital examination system. The respondents' answers were carefully analyzed. Thus, the students' marks and their feedback on online testing made it possible to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the newly created digital examination system. Finally, this study introduced recommendations on more practical examination sessions with university students, based on academic digital platforms, whether it is an emergency or a breakthrough stage in the life of modern society.

References:
[1] Education: From disruption to recovery, UNESCO, Accessed 29 July, 2020. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse.
[2] COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response, UNESCO, Accessed 29 July, 2020. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse.
[3] K. Baker, Financial Times, Covid-19 is changing education for the better, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/51496fde-98e7-11ea-871b-edeb99a20c6e.

Keywords:

COVID-19, university students, final examination, digital platforms, online testing, emergency.