Enhancing Academic Integrity and Efficiency through E-Marking: A Case Study of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU)

Abstract

E-marking or electronic marking is a promising alternative to traditional paper marking in the digitalisation of higher education, offering efficiency, transparency and integrity. This study evaluated e-marking at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU); its effects on examiner job satisfaction, speed and efficiency, and administrative workflows. This mixed methods research comprised a questionnaire for 128 e-examiners and system turnaround time data. The results showed 82% of examiners rated the system user-friendly, 70% indicated increased speed in marking, and 79% marked scripts primarily on laptops. Volume of scripts marked per semester was 1,000-1,500 (37%), with 2,500 scripts (10%) for those with higher workloads, suggesting scalability of the system. Issues included slow speed (40%), system downtime (20%) and lack of training (50%). Regarding academic integrity, 60% found plagiarism detection effective for verbatim copying, and 55% requested clearer institutional guidelines. Overall, 80% were keen to use e-marking again. E-marking has improved efficiency, accuracy and sustainability at AIOU, it is concluded. Capacity-building, infrastructure improvements, integration of advanced plagiarism detection tools and institutional guidelines are recommended to enhance scalability.