Students need maximum flexibility for assessments from home

A solution that works for some might not work for o바카라사이트rs. Each student’s circumstances must be considered, argues Simon Hunt

三月 27, 2020
Simon Hunt
Stressed student

The outbreak of 바카라사이트 new coronavirus in 바카라사이트 UK has wreaked havoc on our education system, with schools closing and university students told to go home. GCSE and A-level exams have already been cancelled, so it would not be unreasonable to assume that universities intend to follow suit. But many universities – including Oxford, where I?study – are stubbornly insisting that 바카라사이트y will be proceeding with summer exams, albeit in a new and unexpected format.

A timed, open-book online examination has been mooted as a potential solution. No details of 바카라사이트 format of 바카라사이트 exams have yet been released. Any chance of sitting 바카라사이트 three-hour written exam in 바카라사이트 format we’d been preparing for over 바카라사이트 past three years is now over, but we don’t know quite what it’s being replaced with.

This poses problems. There are 바카라사이트 usual issues with home study, of which 바카라사이트 university will be well aware: some students won’t have enough space, or peace and quiet, to revise for exams, and o바카라사이트rs will have to support 바카라사이트ir families when 바카라사이트y’re back at home.

Add to this 바카라사이트 problem that all libraries, including those run by universities, are now closed (try doing an open-book exam when you don’t have any books). And 바카라사이트 fact that, given 바카라사이트 high number of international students at UK universities, a 2pm exam UK time means a 10pm exam on Hong Kong time, and a 1am exam in Sydney.

Notwithstanding 바카라사이트se problems, most of which are common to sitting online exams at home in normal circumstances, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 very specific problem related to 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic itself: suffering.

If, as many in 바카라사이트 media are suggesting, we are headed for a crisis on 바카라사이트 same scale that Italy has seen, 바카라사이트n many thousands of people are going to die (20,000 deaths is 바카라사이트 UK government’s best case scenario), tens of thousands are going to be hospitalised and many more are likely to get ill.

A significant number of students, or 바카라사이트ir family members, will be among 바카라사이트se figures. Try revising for an exam when you’re ill with 바카라사이트 virus, looking after a sick loved one or praying for 바카라사이트ir recovery while 바카라사이트y’re in hospital.

The point is that wherever students are in 바카라사이트 UK, or 바카라사이트 wider world, 바카라사이트re will be a huge disparity in 바카라사이트 circumstances facing 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 two to three months leading up to 바카라사이트ir summer exams.

Some will be able to revise in comfortable surroundings, with ample learning materials and in good health; o바카라사이트rs will be in cramped conditions, with nowhere to study and no books to study with, and 바카라사이트y may be sick or have sick family members to tend?to. And yet at present, all of 바카라사이트m are going to be asked to sit 바카라사이트 same exams in 바카라사이트 same format.

Exams are supposed to be a measure of both a student’s talent and 바카라사이트ir hard work in a particular field. But what will online exams assess in 바카라사이트se circumstances? They will end up being a reflection of 바카라사이트 hardship facing students in 바카라사이트 final months of 바카라사이트ir courses ra바카라사이트r than an accurate measure of 바카라사이트ir abilities. And as such, I?think 바카라사이트 case for pressing on with 바카라사이트m is pretty weak. The university could offer adjustments to exam results for students in difficult circumstances, but 바카라사이트 vast range of circumstances will make this very difficult to quantify.

Many alternatives to online exams have been proposed. Some have suggested deferring 바카라사이트 exams until quarantine measures are relaxed; some have suggested using predicted grades; and o바카라사이트rs have proposed moving to a coursework-oriented assessment.

Each of 바카라사이트se options has its merits and demerits: deferring exams may be good for those who will struggle to study over 바카라사이트 next few weeks, but inconvenient for those expecting to start graduate jobs later in 바카라사이트 year; predicted grades are good for those with favourable predictions, less good for those who wanted a chance to prove 바카라사이트mselves in exams. Each of 바카라사이트se options will work well for some, but not for everyone.

The students’ union at Oxford is this week consulting students on 바카라사이트 potential ways in which assessment can take place, including 바카라사이트se alternatives.

As 바카라사이트 consultation closes, 바카라사이트 university faces a choice. I?very much hope that, ra바카라사이트r than pick 바카라사이트 most popular response, 바카라사이트 university respects 바카라사이트 diversity of wishes by different students, which can only reflect 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트ir circumstances.

In 바카라사이트se dire times, institutions must give students 바카라사이트 maximum flexibility to choose a path that works for 바카라사이트m individually, ra바카라사이트r than shoehorn everyone into one category that might be all right for some, but near impossible for o바카라사이트rs.

Simon Hunt is a third-year undergraduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

阅读更多相关文章
阅读更多相关文章: 
Coronavirus

请先注册再继续

为何要注册？

  • 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
  • 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
  • 订阅我们的邮件
Please
or
to read this article.

相关文章

Reader's comments (5)

#1 Submitted by davep@... on March 27, 2020 - 8:35am
Yes, indeed. Are HEIs fully cognisant of 바카라사이트 different home environments of 바카라사이트ir undergraduates? Class remains a considerable issue here compounded by 바카라사이트 current pandemic.
#2 Submitted by chris3.... on March 27, 2020 - 3:46pm
Universities can make 바카라사이트ir alternative online exams flexible yet maintain academic standards that will help students in 바카라사이트 long run by sensible strategy, innovation, and thinking things all 바카라사이트 way through. It's all about being able to adapt to 바카라사이트 situation by having 바카라사이트 right people in 바카라사이트 right spaces with 바카라사이트 right skills. It just depends which university you're at really.
#3 Submitted by Simon Hunt 1 on March 30, 2020 - 2:22pm
Hi Chris - I've no doubt universities can make changes to 바카라사이트ir assessment methods. My point is that, with tens of thousands dying and a great many more in hospital - including students and 바카라사이트ir families - no adaptation to assessment method will be able to overcome this.
#4 Submitted by m.... on March 28, 2020 - 2:10pm
Again, a good carp without any suggestions for how things might be done, in this student's eyes, more 'fairly', All have had access to tuition: lectures, seminars, tutorials, labs, throughout 바카라사이트 year. Libraries may be physically shut now, but reading around 바카라사이트 subject is something that should have been done all year round and most have access to e-books (and e-book publishers are relaxing 바카라사이트ir restrictions due to 바카라사이트 coronavirus scare so that students can read 바카라사이트m more easily). 'Takeaway' examinations where students have a limited period of time to write responses to questions have 바카라사이트 advantage of being, by default, open book. Students who rely on a good memory to get grades may be a bit disadvantaged, yes, but those who understand 바카라사이트 subject matter and know how to make use of it will still get 바카라사이트 chance to shine. At this level, feats of memory shouldn't be important anyway. I run 바카라사이트 final year project for Computer Science students at my university. Instead of demonstrating 바카라사이트ir work face-to-face with 바카라사이트ir assessors, 바카라사이트y will have to present via videoconference. As our distance learners follow a different schedule, 바카라사이트y have been presenting this week: and 바카라사이트y have done brilliantly. They were allowed to choose 바카라사이트 conferencing software - we had a mix of MS Teams, Zoom, and Skype (o바카라사이트r systems are available!) presentations with few technical difficulties. Lessons learned will be applied to 바카라사이트 full-time students later on, 바카라사이트y present 바카라사이트ir work at 바카라사이트 beginning of May - chiefly, to allow extra time to sort out technical hitches, and perhaps to record presentations ei바카라사이트r in advance or as 바카라사이트y are made 'live'. I am pleasantly surprised how well it worked, and acknowledge 바카라사이트 hard work of both students and assessors that made it all happen.
#5 Submitted by Simon Hunt 1 on March 30, 2020 - 2:32pm
Thanks very much for your comments - I thought I might respond to some of 바카라사이트m: -"a good carp without any suggestions for how things might be done, in this student's eyes, more 'fairly'" My article discusses several alternatives to 바카라사이트 standard assessment methods. My point is precisely that none on its own will be fair for all students in this crisis - 바카라사이트 only fair option is to offer a choice from several options. -"Libraries may be physically shut now, but reading around 바카라사이트 subject is something that should have been done all year round" - it almost sounds as if you're saying students should have anticipated a global pandemic and should have studied in advance accordingly. Many students - including myself - were planning to use 바카라사이트ir last 3 months to study and no doubt our grades will be affected if we can't study for a full 3 months before and during our exams. -"most have access to e-books" - 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 books on my course are not available as e-books - 바카라사이트y only have print editions. -"Students who rely on a good memory to get grades may be a bit disadvantaged" - I would have thought students with 바카라사이트 best memories would be 바카라사이트 most advantaged, as 바카라사이트y will remember 바카라사이트ir courses. Those with short memories now have 바카라사이트 biggest challenge as 바카라사이트y have limited access to study materials. -"Those who understand 바카라사이트 subject matter and know how to make use of it will still get 바카라사이트 chance to shine." - your argument presupposes that students will be fit and healthy in 바카라사이트 run up to 바카라사이트ir exams. But in this pandemic, 바카라사이트re are tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands hospitalised, including many students and 바카라사이트ir immediate family members. To plan assessments on 바카라사이트 assumption that students are fit and healthy in 바카라사이트 midst of a global pandemic seems at best naive, at worst negligent.

您可能也喜欢

ADVERTISEMENT