E assignments have been incorporated into colleges, universities, and most commonly online colleges. Schools most commonly still use paper submissions, partly because the students are younger and partly because they will have to write fewer assignments in general. They are becoming even more common since the coronavirus pandemic. The handing in of paper assignments is a risk for individuals due to the contact. It may become the new normal for most institutions to submit electronic assignments. Already, schools have had to work out ways in which they can incorporate electronic submission into their institutions, and they may be discovering some of the benefits. Here is a list of some of the biggest reasons learning institutes should incorporate e assignment submission.
1. Do not have to travel to hand in assignments
One great benefit of e assignments is that you do not have to travel to the institution to hand in the papers. For example, with dissertations, individuals would have to travel solely to hand these in. Furthermore, there are many benefits of removing this process, students can work right up to the deadlines if it is needed and they do not have to allow extra time for the physical hand in. With e submissions, they will usually have to hand the assignment in by a certain time and this is often in the evenings. Any final edits can be made right up to the time.
2. No printing costs and better for the environment
E assignments mean that written work that is multiple pages long does not need to be printed. With the huge amount of paper being wasted every day this is a significant benefit for the environment. In 2018-19 there were said to be 2.38 million students at higher education. If all of these institutions required coursework assignments to be handed in electronically, there would have been a huge difference in the amount of paper used every day, especially as students have multiple assignments per year. Printing costs at learning centers are also very expensive with many places offering printing credits that you have to buy. If students had to pay for printing every time they had to submit work, this would add up and cause a significant burden.
3. Students Prefer E Assignments
In a study conducted by the British Journal of Educational Technology, in a comparison of paper-based assignments and electronic assignment submission, students preferred the online submission. They said that they liked having their feedback online for access at all times rather than being handed to them. They also said they preferred the financial benefits. If students prefer e assignments, it can have positive effects on the whole of the academic institution. This can lead to greater student satisfaction ratings and encourage more people to join the institute.
4. Markers Can Work Remotely
The markers of assignments have the benefit of working where they please. Paper assignments may get damaged or lost if they are taken home so many teachers like to mark their papers at work. With the option of e assignments, these are safely stored in one place and do not have the possibility of being damaged. Markers can go onto the system and mark the work efficiently without having to sift through towers of papers.
5. Allows for Better Feedback
E assignment systems allow assessors to edit their feedback and use similar feedback from other students work quickly and efficiently. It also allows second markers to access the same files and see the comments made from the first marker. They can then work on the piece together to come up with the best feedback possible. In this way, one marker does not have to wait to receive the paper copy to make further comments or ensure that it has been marked correctly.
6. Allows More Online Colleges to be Introduced
The introduction of e assignments allows online colleges to be effective and run smoothly, students do not have to send assignments over the post. In addition, a home study is beneficial for a variety of other reasons.
In the recent coronavirus pandemic, they have become the safest way to learn. Furthermore, online colleges allow people from all over the world to take courses in a variety of subjects. There is therefore a global learning platform that brings people together. Online colleges allow people to learn in their free time in between work commitments as a lot of lectures run on weekends or evenings. This means that online learning can be beneficial for those who are learning before they go into full-time work, or older adult learners who want to progress in their career or perhaps start a new career.
Conclusion
It is clear that e assignments have great benefits. It is likely that e assignment submission will continue to be incorporated into the education industry. With the focus on being more environmentally friendly and the increase of students with computers and laptops, it has become easier than ever to incorporate.
