Students' Perceptions of Using the Schoology Web Application as an Online Mid-Term Examination Platform: A Qualitative Study
Keywords:
Schoology, students' perceptions, online mid-term examination, learning management systemAbstract
The emergency shifts to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid adoption of Learning Management Systems (LMS) for high-stakes assessment, yet research exploring student perceptions of this specific use remains scarce. This study investigated students' perceptions of using the Schoology web application as an online mid-term examination platform and identified the challenges they encountered. A descriptive qualitative design framed within a hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight purposively selected eighth-semester students from the Department of English Education at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. Thematic analysis revealed two major positive perceptions: the platform's flexibility in facilitating multimodal submission formats and its capacity to generate significant time and economic efficiencies. Conversely, two critical difficulties emerged: persistent problems with unreliable internet connectivity that induced anxiety, and a digitally enabled loss of concentration that created a propensity for academic dishonesty. The findings suggest that while Schoology offers logistical and economic advantages, its efficacy as an assessment tool is fundamentally compromised by infrastructural inequities and the misalignment between conventional closed-book exam designs and unsupervised digital environments. This study underscores the need for systemic institutional support and a paradigm shift in assessment design toward authentic, higher-order thinking tasks to uphold the validity and integrity of online examinations.
Downloads
References
Abdeen, N. S., Mostafa, N. S., & Alzifzaf, D. S. (2026). Learning management system effectiveness and trainee perceptions. BMC Medical Education, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-09535-7
Al Shlowiy, A., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Alharbi, M. (2021). Discrepancy between language learners and teachers concerns about emergency remote teaching. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(6), 1528-1538. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12543
Alsarayreh, A. H. (2025). The Impact of Learning Platforms Technologies on Student Motivation and Engagement: A Psychological Perspective. In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (Vol. 587, pp. 1311-1322). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87584-7_95
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Dahal, N., Manandhar, N. K., Luitel, B. C., Pant, B. P., Shrestha, I. M., Rajbanshi, R., Dhungana, P., & Dhungana, S. (2023). Reality Of E-Learning: Success And Failure Of Learning Management System. ELearning and Software for Education Conference, 1, 321-327. https://doi.org/10.12753/2066-026X-23-029
Edwar, M. E. (2025). Integrating Technology in Education: The Impact of Blended Learning Approaches in Higher Education. In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control (Vol. 566, pp. 187-196). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-71318-7_17
Gracyalny, J. R., & Hurtienne, L. E. (2023). The Perceived Effect of Learner-Centered Pedagogy in Secondary Active Learning Spaces and Impact on Student Engagement. Journal of Learning Spaces, 12(1), 75-91. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85176415044&partnerID=40&md5=9459288ce4eedf49cea9cdfadca23ad9
Hidayat, N. (2022). Online Teaching during the Covid-19 Crisis in Indonesia: Is It Effective? International Journal of Social Learning (IJSL), 2(3), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.47134/ijsl.v2i3.146
Hidayat, N., Afdholy, N., & Arifani, Y. (2023a). The effectiveness and challenges of online teaching of EFL teachers in the COVID-19 crisis. The International Journal of Humanities Education, 22(1), 95-114. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0063/CGP/v22i01/95-114
Hidayat, N., Afdholy, N., & Arifani, Y. (2023b). The Effectiveness and Challenges of Online Teaching of EFL Teachers in the COVID-19 Crisis. The International Journal of Humanities Education, 22(1), 95-114. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0063/cgp/v22i01/95-114
Hilyana, F. S., & Hakim, M. M. (2018). Integrating character education on physics courses with schoology-based e-learning. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 17, 577-593. https://doi.org/10.28945/4164
Islam, S., & Mahmud, H. (2020). An Intelligence Learner Management System using Learning Analytics and Machine learning. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 120-125. https://doi.org/10.1145/3436756.3437032
Kostas, A., Paraschou, V., Spanos, D., & Sofos, A. (2023). Emergency remote teaching in K-12 education during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of empirical research in Greece. In Research on E-Learning and ICT in Education: Technological, Pedagogical, and Instructional Perspectives (pp. 235-260). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34291-2_14
Liu, Y., Arifani, Y., Hidayat, N., Wijayatiningsih, T. D., & Koiri, M. (2024). Learners' Readiness for Autonomy and Online Learning: EFL Teachers' Beliefs and Practices. Ubiquitous Learning, 17(1), 183-203. https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-9795/CGP/v17i01/183-203
Lugoma, M., Yende, L., Dikgwatlhe, P., Mkonde, A., Thage, R., Maseko, L., & Chimwani, N. (2025). A Transdisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Online Engineering Education through Learning Analytics. Proceedings of the International Multi-Conference on Society, Cybernetics and Informatics, IMSCI, 142-147. https://doi.org/10.54808/IMSCI2025.01.142
Martins, H. F., & Sequeira, J. (2026). From Acceptance to Achievement: How Technology Perceptions Drive Engagement and Learning in an International Business-Simulation Course. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 37(2), 59-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975930.2026.2669481
Mehrvarz, M., Salimi, G., Abdoli, S., & McLaren, B. M. (2025). How does students' perception of ChatGPT shape online learning engagement and performance? Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2025.100459
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2018). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. SAGE Publications. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=lCh_DwAAQBAJ
Napitupulu, M., Walanda, D. K., Poba, D., & Pulukadang, S. H. V. (2020). Ace chemistry classroom management with LMS schoology. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 14(12), 179-185. https://doi.org/10.3991/IJIM.V14I12.15585
Nguyen, L. D., & Nguyen, L. V. (2022). Schoology as an Online Learning Platform to Enhance English Language Ability for Undergraduates in Vietnam. CALL-EJ, 23(4), 139-161. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85138510925&partnerID=40&md5=28a3d89578127374749b7ef4b438323d
Sambell, K., McDowell, L., & Montgomery, C. (2012). Assessment for learning in higher education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203818268
Simatupanga, E. C. M., & Sarib, P. (2019). The Effect of schoology implementation toward students' autonomous learning. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 6(12), 262-271. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85076422334&partnerID=40&md5=63b6326f882d96f7e6e27361129030b9
Šinko, S., Navarro, J., Solé-Beteta, X., Zaballos, A., & Gajšek, B. (2024). Challenges That Need to Be Addressed before Starting New Emergency Remote Teaching at HEIs and Proposed Solutions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031144
Downloads
Submitted
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wildhan Bangkit Himawan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
