Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant shifts in teaching, learning, and assessment modalities within higher education institutions globally, including in South Africa. The Council on Higher Education's directives in 2020 and 2021 allowed for a transition from traditional contact learning to online delivery, impacting accreditation and necessitating adaptations in assessment methods. This study explores the transition to continuous assessment in a first-year School Based Work Integrated course at a South African university, focusing on the use of think boards, group tasks, and portfolio submissions to scaffold learning and enhance student success.

A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, beginning with quantitative data collection through pre- and post-course evaluations, followed by qualitative focus group interviews. The study sample included 420 students, with 30 purposively selected based on their evaluation scores for in-depth interviews. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and NVivo software to identify themes and correlations.

Findings revealed that continuous assessment, particularly through think boards and multimodal resources, improved student engagement and understanding of course content, although some students experienced increased stress and pressure. The hybrid model adopted in 2023, combining online and in-person elements, continued to leverage these assessment methods. This research contributes to the understanding of effective assessment strategies in online and hybrid learning environments and provides insights for future pedagogical practices to enhance student learning outcomes and address challenges in first-year higher education courses.

Keywords:

Technology, assessment, School Based Work Integrated Learning, teaching competence.