Authors: Klaus-Dieter Rossade, Maria Aristeidou, Simon Cross and Carlton Wood
Abstract:
The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown rules since March 2020 accelerated HE institutions’ readiness to consider online exams as a potential new default. The Open University is preparing to deliver online exams where acceptable, possible and desirable. Acceptability, possibility and desirability could become terms that can structure assessment strategies with online exams in the future. They are underpinned by finding the right balance between the student experience of assessment (in general and exams in particular) and the need to assure quality standards. The former secures a good experience of assessment which creates the conditions in which students can demonstrate their learning and achievements in the best possible way. The latter secures the reputation of a university and the accreditation of programmes of study by external bodies. .
The presentation will address student experience and outline initial results from a pan-university scholarship survey on student perceptions of exams (n=562). In the context of the university’s planned transition to fewer exams altogether and more exams online, results such as ‘71.6% of students have positive or somewhat positive feelings towards exams’ are useful because they can help build the case for online exams that will serve most students. Addressing the needs of that 14.6% of students whose feelings are ‘negative or somewhat negative’ requires more in-depth analysis. Findings on online invigilation approaches, for example 80.9% accept verifying identity through ID documents, 67.5% through facial recognition and 65.1% through voice recognition, can help us build systems that will ensure a positive student experience of online exams while addressing the reputational concerns.
The presentation will also cross-reference the feedback from students with outcomes of a consultation across a wide range of university practitioners (academic and professional services) during 2021/22. Bringing the survey and the consultation together will enable us to truly examine what are currently acceptable, possible and desirable ways of doing online exams.