Evaluating differently in the digital age: The case of Master's theses

Abstract

The Master's dissertation is an important part of a student's academic journey. It represents the culmination of their extensive education and reflects their ability to define and execute a project in accordance with standards of writing and presentation. Like other forms of education, it serves as a means of training. Its purpose is to enable students to acquire the appropriate methodology for synthesis and to demonstrate their mastery of activities and resources related to their research topic. The support and guidance of students during this period is essential, through regular exchanges between the student and their research supervisor to address any concerns and provide direction.

The evaluation of a dissertation focuses on its various components, including the defence. As such, this assessment, whether written or oral, is a complex task. However, the health situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic has forced universities to resort to remote assessment of Master's theses.

This paper focuses on the online evaluation of Master's theses, which was an unprecedented experience for most teachers during the Covid-19 period.