The Attitude of Undergraduates Towards Computer-based English Language Exams: A Case Study of An-Najah National University, Palestine
Keywords:
Attitude, Computer-based Exams, English Language Exams, Summative Assessment, UndergraduatesAbstract
This paper examines the attitudes of undergraduates at An-Najah National University towards computer-based English language exams. The study adopts both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected from a paper-based group-administrated questionnaire totalling 27 items and a focus group discussion. The population of this study consisted of 2021 undergraduates who were taking an English language core requirement course (English Language Course I) during Spring Semester 2016/2017. A simple random sample of 513 undergraduates was selected from all of the 49 classes of the course to fill in the questionnaire. Nine students were randomly chosen to participate in the focus group discussion. The results reveal that while the undergraduates at An-Najah National University had a positive attitude towards computer-based English language exams, they preferred paper-based to computer-based exams. This initial study recommends providing undergraduates with adequate training in computer-based exams, and it offers some suggestions for improving their experience. It paves the way for further research to find out whether the students’ attitude towards computer-based English language exams affects their performance.
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