STUDENTS' ASSESSMENT PREFERENCES AS PERCEIVED BY NON-ARABIC SPEAKING LEARNERS AT UMM AL-QURA UNIVERSITY

The present research is a survey study carried out on non-Arabic speaking learners at the department of Arabic language, Institute of Arabic Language for Non-Native Speakers, Umm Al-Qura University, KSA. A designed questionnaire was collected from 50 students consisting of 26-item and open-ended questions administered to determine the learners' assessment preferences. The study also investigates the impact of gender, class level, nationality and GPA on learners' assessment preferences. The data were captured and analyzed using SPPS. The results revealed that "written questions" (M=2.54) are the most assessment method used among learners, while "computer-based questions" (M=1.82) are the least assessment method as perceived by the learners. A majority of students stated that "participation in discussions" (M=2.60) is the most preferred assessment method to them, while "questions that require critical thinking" (M=1.96) are the least preferred assessment method as perceived by the learners. The study also concluded that there are significant differences in the degree of learners' assessment preferences according to gender, class level and nationality.