Evaluation of Virtual Education Challenges at COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran: Practical Solutions for Optimal Usage at the Educational System

Abstract

Background: By closing university and educational centers due to the pandemic outbreak of Coronavirus, E-learning achieved prominence. The technology advances in this field, moreover, have caused fundamantal changes in many approaches, including learning assessment methods. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the challenges of evaluating E-learning in the Coronavirus era and provide practical solutions for the optimal usage at the educational system in Iran. Methods: This is a qualitative and research synthesis study. The inclusion criterion was the studies indexed in national and international databases, which were identified through a systematic search process. From 170 studies identified in the initial review stage, 100 were excluded from the analysis process due to the lack of sufficient information on the research objectives, repetitiveness, and unrelated research objectives. Then, in the content review, 70 researches were examined, and finally 20 studies which met the criteria for in-depth analysis were selected. Results: The analysis of the selected studies showed that there were key challenges in the E-learning assessment such as validity and reliability, lack of real measurement of learning results, lack of real interaction between students and professors, technological challenges, and heavy workload for the teacher and learner. Conclusion: According to the results of the research, it is suggested that an agenda should be set in educational systems for the training the professors with applying and integrating the new tools and technologies in the assessment of the students’ learning.

Keywords

• learning
• education
• distance
• research
• evaluating challenges
• coronavirus
• practical solutions