Perspective Chapter: COVID-19 as a Catalyst for the Acceleration of Change in the Assessment Culture of Caribbean Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

The COVID-19 challenges to Caribbean higher education institutions prompted a transition in the teaching-learning environment from the traditional face-to-face mode to online or distance modes. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for change in the assessment practices of Caribbean higher education institutions in the wake of changes in the teaching-learning environments due to COVID-19. By calling attention to the international debate on assessment practices in higher education precipitated by the pandemic, this paper makes the case that the time has come for Caribbean higher education institutions to make a clean break from assessment that is heavily memory dependent and information laden to assessment that is more meaningful and fit for the development and certification of students with competencies that are critical for Caribbean development. Authentic assessment, which makes use of assessment tasks that look more like the actual activities and processes in which persons are engaged in the real world, is posited as the way forward for Caribbean higher education institutions. The paper concludes that the Region’s higher education institutions must consider how they may collaborate with providers of technology solutions to develop assessment process that are fit for the preparation of students for the future.