Transforming language assessment in the digital age: university-level EFL students' and teachers' perceptions of traditional, alternative, and online assessment models

Introduction English-Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts in multicultural higher education settings present unique challenges for language assessment, particularly regarding student motivation, perceived fairness, and effort allocation. Despite growing adoption of technology-mediated assessment models, systematic comparisons of traditional, alternative, and online assessment approaches from both student and instructor perspectives remain limited. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study examines how technology integration transforms language assessment processes in university-level EFL (English as a Foreign Language) education. This study aimed to (a) compare undergraduate students' and faculty members' perceptions of traditional, alternative, and online assessment models across three dimensions—motivation, perceived fairness, and required effort; (b) examine intergroup differences between students and instructors; and (c) investigate associations among motivation, fairness, and effort perceptions to inform pedagogical recommendations for hybrid assessment design in EMI contexts. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 258 undergraduate students and 32 faculty members at Eastern Mediterranean University (Northern Cyprus), all engaged in English-medium instruction. Participants completed a validated quantitative instrument measuring perceptions of the three assessment models across motivation, fairness, and effort dimensions. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests (or Mann-Whitney U tests), and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS 30.0. The study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines, with informed consent obtained from all participants. Results Students perceive all three assessment models as moderately motivating, whereas teachers are more skeptical of the motivational effectiveness of alternative assessments. While both groups rated alternative assessments as the fairest model, students have lower perceptions of the fairness level of online assessments. Significant differences were observed in perceptions of effort: students perceive traditional assessments as requiring the most effort, whereas teachers perceive alternative assessments as requiring more effort. Correlation analyses reveal strong positive associations between motivation and effort ( r = .49-.50), and moderate associations between fairness and motivation ( r = .39-.41). The study highlights the differences between student and teacher perceptions in the context of technology-mediated language assessment and provides pedagogical recommendations for the design of hybrid and flexible assessment strategies. Discussion The findings demonstrate the critical role of perceived fairness in motivation and learning outcomes, particularly in multicultural English-Medium Instruction (EMI) contexts. The research is discussed in comparison with current literature on how technology integration is transforming language assessment processes, and future research directions and application recommendations are presented.