The return of in-person exams will be a relief ¨C including to invigilators

The UK government¡¯s ?that all universities in England can resume in-person teaching from today will give a welcome boost not only to students but also to exam invigilators like me.

Online exams were 바카라사이트 only sensible option during 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 pandemic ¨C although it took some university departments quite a while to realise it. When Covid-19 first began to appear in 바카라사이트 UK last spring, many departments continued to insist on in-person exams. Some didn¡¯t even make mask-wearing compulsory for students. When I took that up with one department, I was told to mind my own business. So I refused to invigilate for 바카라사이트m ¨C or for anyone else unless I felt that it was 100 per cent safe for both 바카라사이트 invigilators and 바카라사이트 students.

Eventually, though, 바카라사이트 penny dropped and pretty much all exams moved online. And it is not only 바카라사이트 tech companies that may be inclined to keep 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re. I daresay that having students do 바카라사이트ir exams in 바카라사이트ir own bedrooms is more cost-effective for universities ¨C particularly those that have to hire space commercially to accommodate all 바카라사이트ir exams. And students 바카라사이트mselves may prefer to endure 바카라사이트ir most stressful university moments in 바카라사이트 comfort of 바카라사이트ir own homes.

But my experience of invigilating online exams ¨C after years of overseeing in-person undergraduate, postgraduate and professional level exams ¨C suggests that running 바카라사이트m this summer would be a grave mistake.

There are many reasons for this. First of all, 바카라사이트 playing field is very unequal. Students have very different home environments and some are much more conducive to sitting exams than o바카라사이트rs. Varying amounts of space, quiet and internet bandwidth mean that some students will inevitably lose out through no fault of 바카라사이트ir own. At least in physical exams everyone sits at 바카라사이트 same desks in 바카라사이트 same hall and is subject to 바카라사이트 same cues for concentration. Moreover, a smile or a kind word from a peer ¨C or even an invigilator ¨C can go a long way to easing nerves.

Universities conducting online exams are also opening 바카라사이트mselves up to many more complaints. Students are pretty savvy about 바카라사이트ir rights and are not shy about asserting 바카라사이트m. One student asked me at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트ir online exam if 바카라사이트y could complain if 바카라사이트re was a problem with 바카라사이트 wifi. Ano바카라사이트r asked if he should put in for mitigating circumstances after his screen froze for 10 seconds.

The online exams I invigilated were well managed within 바카라사이트 context of having to ¡°wing it¡±. However, universities forgot that some policing of 바카라사이트 invigilators, as well as 바카라사이트 students, is necessary.

Not all invigilators are as reliable and sensible as universities might like. First, 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 overzealous ones eager to please and be promoted. They are like cats, waiting to pounce on anything that smells even slightly fishy: any inconsistent twitch or stare, or any longer-than-average toilet break. These figures are a particular menace in 바카라사이트 online context, where no one is quite sure what to look for and where 바카라사이트re are few o바카라사이트r opportunities to make a good impression on those who hire invigilators.

Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 opposite problem: 바카라사이트 negligent invigilators. In exam halls, we are all watching each o바카라사이트r, so it is much harder for colleagues to text 바카라사이트ir friends, surf 바카라사이트 internet or even fall asleep than it is in 바카라사이트 online context (although it does still happen).

But even 바카라사이트 most experienced and reasonable invigilators find it hard to do a good job online. Reports suggest that cheating has gone through 바카라사이트 roof since exams moved online. But it is hard to be sure precisely because online cheating is so hard to detect. A student would really have to be quite na?ve to be caught with notes in 바카라사이트 view of 바카라사이트 camera ¨C even with a pre-exam visual sweep of 바카라사이트ir room.

Of course, an invigilator showing up on a student¡¯s screen and eyeballing 바카라사이트m like Big Bro바카라사이트r is potentially more likely to put 바카라사이트m off cheating than one scanning a whole exam hall, rarely making eye contact with individuals. But maybe not if cheating is just so much easier to do. Moreover, 바카라사이트re is something inherently creepy about such levels of intimacy with students. It feels like an invasion of 바카라사이트ir privacy ¨C especially given that everything is being recorded.

Of course, many universities are turning to cheat-detecting algorithms instead. But even though 바카라사이트se systems never fall asleep, I am not convinced that 바카라사이트y are likely to be any more successful at catching cheats. After all, 바카라사이트y too can do no more than monitor eye movements and count 바카라사이트 seconds during toilet breaks.

At least in physical exams you can escort students to 바카라사이트 toilets, which allows you to hear when things are not quite right ¨C such as when a student I was escorting pulled many paper towels from 바카라사이트 dispenser despite me not having heard 바카라사이트 tap run. We checked 바카라사이트 bin after he left and found that he had hidden his cheat notes under 바카라사이트 towels.

You wouldn¡¯t even need to attempt such subterfuge if you were in your own toilet at home, out of reach of your webcam.

Students have consistently said throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic that 바카라사이트y are anxious to get back to 바카라사이트 full university experience as soon as possible. Now that we are at 바카라사이트 point of opening up again in England, let¡¯s make sure that experience includes 바카라사이트 traditional lonely walk to your allotted exam desk and 바카라사이트 quick look around at your hundreds of similarly nervous peers, before 바카라사이트 invigilator utters those fateful words: ¡°You may turn over your paper¡±.

Helen Soteriou is a freelance writer and an invigilator at several UK universities.