The Effect of Online Assessments on Students’ Attitudes Towards Undergraduate-Level Geography Courses

Abstract

The improvements in technology made technology tools invade almost every field, including education. Online assessment tools have various functions for students and teachers. Students are able to use their mobile devices in the classroom, while teachers are able to use the tools for formative and summative evaluation purposes and for getting to know their students. Teachers also get feedback on their instructional practices by analyzing student responses. Previous studies found that undergraduate students in Faculty of Education in Turkey do not have a very positive attitude for geography courses, because most of the students take geography courses almost every year until they enter the university. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of in-class online assessment tools on the attitudes of students at undergraduate level towards geography courses. In addition, the changes in students’ attitudes are examined for various variables. The study was designed in a quasi-experimental model with experiment and control groups. The study also implemented pre-tests and post-tests. Geography Attitude Scale developed by Sözen (2019) was used as data collection tool. The study’s sample consists of 70 students whose majors are Primary School Teacher in Faculty of Education. An online assessment tool was implemented for seven weeks in experiment group, while the control group did not receive the said tool. The study found that using online assessment tools significantly improved students’ attitude towards geography course.