By Dr. Juliana Namada and Dr. Bernadette Kiarie

On June 10, Dr. Juliana Namada and Dr. Bernadette Kiarie presented their research titled “Towards Authentic Assessment in Online Education at United States International University – Africa”. Presented during the colloquium held on campus, this study responds to a critical challenge in higher education which is ensuring meaningful and credible assessment in online learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital education across Africa. However, traditional assessment methods, particularly high-stakes summative exams, have proven ill-suited to online education contexts. Their research advocates for a shift toward authentic assessment, which evaluates students through real-world tasks that demand critical thinking, collaboration, and application of knowledge in professional contexts.

They conducted their study within the Chandaria School of Business, guided by the User Acceptance of Information Technology Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. Using surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions, they examined how formative and summative assessments contribute to authentic assessment in online education.

Their findings show that formative assessments play a significantly stronger role in fostering authentic learning and assessment than summative ones. Real-time feedback, problem-solving and interactive tools enabled students to engage meaningfully with course content. Summative assessments, while still relevant, contributed minimally to the development of critical skills and should be redesigned to better reflect authentic learning goals and assessments.

They observed that while faculty members are making efforts to integrate authentic assessments, more structured professional development and institutional support are needed. Clear policies and guidance from the institution and accrediting bodies will also be essential in advancing authentic assessment practices.

They recommended that authentic assessment be embedded in curriculum design and aligned with learner-centered instructional strategies across all online programs at USIU-Africa. Expanding the scope of this research across all schools will yield richer insights for policy and practice.

This study contributes to the growing body of Africa-based research on digital education and offers practical insights to improve online pedagogy, quality assurance and student outcomes. They urged other faculty members to reflect on how this assessments can better prepare learners for life beyond the classroom and advocated for further conversations on strengthening teaching and learning in the digital age.