COVID-19 and e-assessment in Ghanaian higher education institutions: The case of journalism education

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted educational systems around the globe and necessitated a paradigm shift in teaching and learning processes. The need to innovate and implement the alternate mode of teaching and learning has resulted in remote learning during the pandemic. Hence, studies on COVID-19, e-learning and its implications have been the focus of researchers. This study extends literature in this field of research by examining the perspectives of students and lecturers on COVID-19 and e-assessment in Ghanaian higher education institutions. Through focus group discussions, and interviews, data are gathered to investigate the challenges confronting e-assessments and effective practices employed to address such challenges in journalism education. Thematic analysis of data through the lens of engagement theory revealed challenges of poor and unstable connectivity, low-class participation, increased workload on lecturers, ineffective feedback, and test insecurity. The effective practices adopted were participation grading, intentional engagement, and sharing videos and relevant materials before lectures.