Digital Assessment: A Survey of Romanian Higher Education Teachers’ Practices and Needs

Abstract

Within the European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) and the DigCompEdu framework, our research focuses on the competence area of teachers’ assessment practices and needs. We designed a 24-item online questionnaire for Romanian higher education teachers who are using digital technologies for assessing students’ learning, learning outcomes and practical skills. The present paper analyzes how the 60 respondents from Romanian universities evaluate their own digital competence and how they are using digital assessment, but also what training needs they have in these regards. This study, carried out in May–June 2022, therefore attempts to identify the main concerns, challenges and obstacles higher education teachers encounter when designing and using digital assessment. Our findings indicate the importance of empowering teachers through continuous learning, embracing flexible hybrid models and reimagining assessment strategies for digital literacy. The ANOVA analysis reveals variations among three groups categorized by self-reported digital competencies in their utilization of digital tools. Responsible knowledge-sharing, AI literacy and adaptive curriculum design emerged as critical imperatives. Our study advocates for a transformative shift towards AI-based pedagogy, emphasizing personalized learning that aligns with teachers’ competencies and specific assessment needs while adhering to fundamental teaching principles.

Keywords

• digital assessment
• higher education
• teacher digital competence
• teacher needs digital assessment
• teacher training