Students’ Perception of Continuous Assessment in an Open Distance and E-Learning Context

This study explores students’ perceptions of continuous assessment within an Open, Distance, and e-learning (ODeL) context in South Africa. The research suggests that a majority (64.3%) of students prefer continuous assessment over traditional examination-based methods, recognising the potential of this approach to improve engagement and learning. However, challenges related to academic workload, stress levels, and timely feedback were prevalent, which may influence students’ experience. The study shows the need for coherent assessment sequencing and explicit alignment between tasks and feedback cycles that are timely and usable, particularly in the ODeL context, where students study independently. While continuous assessment is positioned as beneficial, the study recommends further investigation into its implementation and impact on student learning outcomes to ensure it meets the diverse educational needs of students.