Online Formative Assessment via the E-Portfolio: Attitudes of Greek and Russian EFL University Students

Introduction

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency remote teaching (ERT) has been quickly and suddenly adopted by educational institutions all over the world, which has significantly boosted the use of online assessment (Hodges et al., 2020). Research has shown that this type of assessment provides a number of advantages to teachers and students including adaptability, systematic and ongoing support, interaction and the opportunity for quick and direct feedback (Gikandi, et al., 2011; Topuz et al., 2022). But it also comes with difficulties, such as worries about cheating, validity and reliability of assessment tasks, technical difficulties, and accessibility for students with disabilities, among other things (Radu et al., 2020; School Education Gateway, 2020).

Unfortunately, the urgency to employ ERT as the mainstream mode of teaching in all levels of education globally, did not mean that both teachers and learners were well prepared or even aware how online instruction and online assessment could have been implemented (European Commission, 2020; Ikeda, 2020). Regarding the contexts of the current research, neither the Greek nor the Russian states were prepared for a shift from face-to-face teaching and traditional assessment to emergency online instruction and assessment, as several vital issues emerged ranging from improper digital infrastructure, limited availability of digital educational material to students’ and teachers’ lack of digital literacy (Markova 2020; Nenyuk 2021; Nikolopoulou et al., 2019; Perifanou et al., 2022; Tzifopoulos 2020).

As a result of the implementation of ERT, formative assessment has become significant in teaching several subjects, including English as a Foreign Language (EFL), as it fosters deep and meaningful learning along with critical 21st century skills (Baleni, 2015). Formative assessment in ERT can take many different forms, such as peer-to-peer evaluations, online quizzes and online discussions, via several online tools and platforms. Previous research has established that this mode of assessment can be considerably beneficial in giving students ongoing feedback to assist their learning, helping learners track their progress, enabling them to identify areas where more support may be required and helping them overcome any emerging difficulties (Abduh, 2021; Gikandi, et al., 2011).

Therefore, drawing from prior research concerning the Greek and Russian educational backgrounds and the similarities they share in terms of assessment, the focal point of this research is to explore Greek and Russian EFL university students’ attitudes towards online formative assessment through e-portfolios and whether they are aware of the supportive and facilitative role of e-portfolios in enhancing English language learning. That also takes the authors to the attempt to explore if tertiary level students are aware of the connections between e-portfolios as a tool of formative assessment and the development of self-monitoring and self-learning, as according to previous research, learners do not seem to know or realize this connection during language learning (Baleni, 2015).