A Systematic Review on L2 Online Assessment Amidst COVID-19

Abstract

This study carries out a systematic review on L2 online assessment during the pandemic. PRISMA approach is applied in this review to identify, evaluate and select the literature. Data include 23 empirical studies retrieved from Scopus database, ranging in publications dated from January 2020 to January 2022, and are categorized into three main themes: L2 stakeholders’ perspectives of online assessment; cheating issues, as well as the evolution of technology enhancing e-assessment. The findings show that L2 e-assessment is moderately accepted by HEI stakeholders who flexibly applied and took diverse alternative assessment forms in their pedagogy. Yet there are some great concerns about cheating challenges in e-assessment practices in the studies. Our discussions indicate that the adaptation of quality assurance framework for ensuring assessment integrity and aligning pedagogical practices of e-assessment with technology-enabled testing would guarantee a successful implementation of L2 e-assessment in HEIs in the post crisis time.