| Summary: | Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) as pandemic on March 11, 2020, containing its spread has been an international priority. COVID-19 is characterised by its rapid human-to-human transmission and the potential of asymptomatic cases to infect others. To reduce community spread, countries adopted unprecedented restrictions to isolate their populations to their homes - popularly termed “quarantine” or “social distancing” - and implemented social isolation measures that disrupt not only the economic sectors but also people's lives. Our life during the pandemic has changed tremendously in every aspect. Working from Home (WFH) and Fully online Learning is now the new norm. In early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education environments, the methods of learning have changed. Educational institutions have drastically revised and changed their teaching and learning processes. Technology is fully leveraged to ensure the process of learning continues. Ready or not, students need to embrace the changes. For Open University Malaysia (OUM), which has long been leveraging technology in its teaching and learning, COVID-19 has resulted in further changes. We have fully migrated from traditional assessment to online assessment, this to cater to the government’s restriction of congregating physically. Examinations are now conducted entirely online. Learners have to answer MCQ exams or write essays for take-home-exams in the allocated time. In this aspect, we need to develop suitable exam questions to ensure the quality of assessment. Past studies have shown that these types of assessment are advantageous to adult learners. However, to what extent do these types of assessments influence student's performance? This study analyses the impact of online and traditional assessment on student performance. The results can be used to further improve the assessment method applied, leading to ensuring the quality of graduates in open and distance learning environments. (Abstract by authors)
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