Digital-Based Assessments for Higher-Order and Critical Thinking Skills in Higher Education

Background

The World Wide Web (WWW), which is termed the Web, explains the mechanism that facilitates information retrieval of the internet (Enyclopedia Britannica, 2021). The development of the internet has its genesis to 1989, to the work of Berners-Lee, a British nationality. The internet may be encapsulated as a network of computers or other devices such as smart phones and tablets that are electronically linked globally, and that are able to access information from different places, through hyperlinks from hypertexts. The connections of the hypertext or hypermedia, through hyperlinks, enables people to access information, on the internet, on many areas, which is vital for learning and assessments. In the context of higher education students can select a word and type it on the internet and will then be able to access information on numerous other related documents on that word or phrase. Hypermedia also allows a person to access information that is related to any sound, animation or video (Enyclopedia Britannica, 2021).

Servers are programmes that help with the storage of information on the internet. When a person wants to obtain information on the internet, programmes called servers, avails the information. In our contemporary societies the electronic devices that are linked to the internet, have become universal in application in the form of cell phones, desktop computers, and lap tops among many others (Ming-Hung et al., 2017; Joint Information Systems Committee, 2010; Volungeviciene et al., 2021). These changes and innovations have made it imperative to integrate technology in teaching learning and assessment (Keengwe & Kidd, 2010; Sun & Chen, 2016).

The development of digital learning was mooted by Jay Cross in 1999 (Ming-Hung et al., 2017). Oleksandra et al. (2017) classified the development of information technology into three stages which are use of computer for personal purpose, use of computers for learning engagements and interactions and use of software that facilitate group engagements. Computers are also used in decision making and group interactions. The initial computer afforded an individual to use a computer for personal purposes, the current trend is for computers to be situated on the cloud and this facilitates access to information and software to groups of people. This transition to web based software and platforms creates an opportunity for students to access a variety of learning and assessments resources (Oleksandra et al.,2017). The development of communication technologies has evolved from the use of software for individual purpose, to the evolution of software that allow for learning in real time and at your own pace, on the emerging e-Learning platforms such as Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Digital learning was encapsulated by Ming-Hung et al. (2017, p. 3555) as including the

• Internet corporate network, computer, satellite, broadcasting, audio tapes

• interactive TV and compact disks. The application includes the includes the

• network based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms

• and digital cooperation