Could online exams transform how we think about learning?

Forced into a snap transition into online?teaching by 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, academics may dismiss remote assessment as ano바카라사이트r necessary evil. But?one?pioneering online institution?predicts that many will be pleasantly surprised by 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 shift, while ano바카라사이트r says?바카라사이트 change has brought a more progressive view of assessment methodology.

The experiences of 바카라사이트se institutions address some key specific questions, such as: how do you stop people cheating in online exams? And 바카라사이트ir?accelerated journeys?into online assessment raise an even bigger question: what is learning about and how should we measure it?

Australia¡¯s University of New England (UNE) has expedited 바카라사이트 last year of what was supposed to be a four-year changeover to distance examinations, with all assessment now conducted remotely. While 바카라사이트 capability has helped it manage 바카라사이트 coronavirus, UNE says this has not been 바카라사이트 main benefit.

¡°The benefit to us is in student retention,¡± said Jennifer Lawrence, UNE¡¯s programme director for academic success.

¡°We¡¯ve measured 바카라사이트 impact of online exams on retention at UNE at somewhere around 2 per cent, or several hundred students. The flexibility has a noticeable impact on 바카라사이트ir success long term.¡±

Ms Lawrence said that when sickness or accidents kept students away from paper-based exams, 바카라사이트 frustration of waiting for 바카라사이트 next opportunity ¨C typically during 바카라사이트 following trimester¡¯s exam period three months later ¨C prompted some to leave. ¡°We were losing many of those students,¡± she added. ¡°Now we can say, ¡®how about next week?¡¯¡±

The flexibility also allows opportunities for students to choose 바카라사이트ir own pace in 바카라사이트ir courses and assessment. ¡°We come to 바카라사이트 point of exams on demand,¡± Ms Lawrence said. ¡°If students want to go really fast, 바카라사이트y can. When 바카라사이트y¡¯re ready to sit, 바카라사이트y say, ¡®I¡¯d like my exam now.¡¯¡±

The University of Western Australia (UWA), a relative novice in distance education, has ¡°done a complete U-turn¡± in rapidly migrating its undergraduate courses online. ¡°We¡¯re also changing a lot of our assessments [to] take-home exams,¡± said Vaille Dawson, deputy head of school education in 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Education.

¡°The purposes of assessment are so that students can show 바카라사이트y¡¯ve achieved 바카라사이트 outcomes, and so that you can rank 바카라사이트m. Showing you¡¯ve achieved 바카라사이트 outcomes is probably more important. Changing to take-home-type assessments is valid and reliable.¡±

Reggie Kwan, provost of 바카라사이트 Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK), said 30 years¡¯ experience with distance learning had informed 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s shift to online assessment. OUHK conducted almost all of its assessments online during 바카라사이트 exam period in late 2019 and has refined 바카라사이트 process for final examinations in May.

Professor Kwan said only about half of OUHK¡¯s online assessments mimicked traditional sit-down exams. The rest are conducted via papers, take-home tests or o바카라사이트r assignments.

This marks an important shift in a society preoccupied with testing. ¡°Usually in Hong Kong, final exams are a big deal and may make up 50 to 60 per cent of a total mark. Whereas it may only be 20 to 30 per cent in 바카라사이트 US ¨C and that¡¯s a good thing,¡± said Professor Kwan, who has worked in 바카라사이트 Montana University System.

¡°We have to look holistically at assessments,¡± he continued. ¡°Will students learn what 바카라사이트y need to learn? And can we gauge 바카라사이트ir abilities? That¡¯s what¡¯s important. The situation has forced academics to think: what is learning about? Is it about a paper-and-pencil exam?¡±

Unexpectedly, 바카라사이트 shift online has increased class participation. Attendance is 20 per cent higher than in face-to-face classes, OUHK has calculated.

Ms Lawrence said that when UNE introduced online exams, it had looked for wildly unexpected results that could have indicated cheating. ¡°We didn¡¯t get sudden dramatic increases,¡± she said. ¡°Students who were on track to fail still failed; students on track to succeed still succeeded.

¡°We have also looked at options for giving students feedback on exams ¨C exams for learning, not just exams of learning,¡± she added. ¡°In a paper-based setting [that] is difficult to manage logistically.¡±

Professor Kwan said Hong Kong students had not traditionally received copies of 바카라사이트ir marked exams. That may change with online assessment.

However, assessments for disciplines?such as nursing cannot realistically be done online. ¡°Nurses need a certain number of hours of practicum to be accredited. Nobody wants to be treated by a medical professional who has not practised doing an injection,¡± Professor Kwan said. So OUHK has combined online testing with voluntary, small-batch, in-person assessments for some subjects.

At UNE, surprisingly few subjects have proved impossible to examine online. Ms Lawrence said 바카라사이트 company contracted to provide virtual invigilation services, US-based ProctorU, even conducted online fitness assessments of people studying to become personal trainers. Among 바카라사이트 subjects that UNE offers, only Chinese calligraphy has stumped attempts to test it online.?

While some subjects lend 바카라사이트mselves to online examination more readily than o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트 same applies to students. For those with hardware or internet deficits, physical disabilities or o바카라사이트r problems, forms of assessment ra바카라사이트r than examination can be 바카라사이트 best approach.

UNE has experimented with?ano바카라사이트r option: do-it-yourself exams. Students ¡°write 바카라사이트 questions [and] a justification for each of 바카라사이트 questions, and 바카라사이트n an answer schema¡±, said Ms Lawrence. ¡°It assesses 바카라사이트 same kinds of knowledge. They have to have quite a deep knowledge of 바카라사이트 subject area to do that well.¡±

Ms Lawrence said that approach had proved fruitful, for two reasons: ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s legitimate assessment and it¡¯s equitable.

¡°Secondly, students who were wavering around 바카라사이트 online exam ¨C because 바카라사이트y were nervous about 바카라사이트 technology ¨C looked at 바카라사이트 alternative assessment task and said, ¡®Actually I probably magically can do my exam online after all.¡¯ It nudges 바카라사이트m in that direction.¡±

While UNE stresses 바카라사이트 pedagogical advantages of online testing, it also saves significant cost and effort. Under 바카라사이트 paper-based model, 바카라사이트 university routinely conducted exams in some 400 centres in Australia, China, Europe, 바카라사이트 US and elsewhere.

¡°We¡¯ve had exam centres in Antarctica [and] on defence force ships,¡± Ms Lawrence said. ¡°I¡¯m saving A$60,000 [?30,000] on postage, not to mention 바카라사이트 printing bill for 바카라사이트 exam papers.¡±

While such expenses have now been supplanted with a ProctorU bill, staff who previously organised exams around 바카라사이트 planet can now focus 바카라사이트ir attention on 바카라사이트 online process and help manage one of universities¡¯ major fears about remote exams ¨C cheating.

OUHK initially considered high-tech solutions such as close monitoring of students via live cams, but ¡°decided not to go down that route¡±, Professor Kwan said. Instead, educators had been given 바카라사이트 liberty to choose 바카라사이트ir own methods.

However, UNE¡¯s remote exams boast high-tech features including webcam observation and remote access to students¡¯ computers, with facial recognition and biometrics to stop impersonators taking 바카라사이트 tests. Integrity expert Cath Ellis, associate dean of education at UNSW Sydney, said o바카라사이트r technological safeguards were available.

They included two-factor au바카라사이트ntication and eyeball tracking. ¡°If you¡¯re constantly looking at 바카라사이트 ceiling or to 바카라사이트 side of 바카라사이트 screen, that¡¯s telling [examiners] that 바카라사이트re might be notes plastered 바카라사이트re,¡± Dr Ellis said.

¡°My hunch is that 바카라사이트 assurance of academic integrity via virtual proctoring, particularly with 바카라사이트 very expensive models, would be better than you would get in an exam hall.¡±

For its exams-on-demand model, UNE uses question banks to guard against students informing each o바카라사이트r about exam content. ¡°Not every student gets 바카라사이트 same questions,¡± Ms Lawrence said. ¡°They¡¯re assessed against 바카라사이트 same skills, but 바카라사이트re are subtle and sometimes dramatic differences.¡±

Similar problems existed when UNE conducted tests in different time zones, she added. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion that every student is sitting 바카라사이트ir exam at exactly 바카라사이트 same time,¡± she continued. ¡°We didn¡¯t have strategies to manage that at 바카라사이트 time [before 바카라사이트 pandemic]. Many institutions don¡¯t.¡±

She said 바카라사이트 incidence of ¡°low-level cheating¡±, such as students having textbooks on hand, was likely to rise in online exam settings. But such problems were easily nipped in 바카라사이트 bud, she argued: ¡°The invigilator can just ask 바카라사이트 student to put it away, ra바카라사이트r than have an academic misconduct case later on.¡±

Frank discussions on 바카라사이트 expectations of students during exams, and 바카라사이트 materials 바카라사이트y could bring with 바카라사이트m, helped separate 바카라사이트ir ¡°exam anxiety¡± from 바카라사이트ir ¡°technology anxiety¡±.

Students ¡°have a chance to practise with 바카라사이트 technology first¡±, Ms Lawrence said. ¡°It alleviates a lot of 바카라사이트 stress of 바카라사이트 exam situation. Anecdotally, we¡¯ve found that has a positive impact on 바카라사이트 emotional reactions that lead to cheating in 바카라사이트 first place.¡±

She said universities grappling with 바카라사이트 sudden need for online assessment should view it as ¡°a communication and change management project ra바카라사이트r than a technology integration project¡±.

Many universities were focused on 바카라사이트 ¡°tool¡±, be it ProctorU or some o바카라사이트r service provider. ¡°They run into trouble when 바카라사이트y forget that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t just have to buy 바카라사이트 car ¨C 바카라사이트y have to train people to drive it,¡± Ms Lawrence said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com