Industry & Research
Farewell to pen and paper
Universities that wish to retain their digital native students need to bring their exams into the 21st century, writes Michael Cowling.
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Universities that wish to retain their digital native students need to bring their exams into the 21st century, writes Michael Cowling.
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Ah, so you don’t live in Tasmania! Both the university (UTAS) and the pre-tertiary Year 11/12 qualifications authority are trialling our eExams system. So far one pre-tertiary subject has completed end-of-year exams using computers using a paper-replacement strategy. This year (2012) they move on to using enrichment strategies, such as spreadsheets and video-viewing in exams.
At UTAS we have been using the system since 2007, in Education, Law and Arts Faculties. We are well beyond ‘paper-replacement’ in some areas.
Most recent paper is at http://www.aare.edu.au/11pap/papers_pdf/aarefinal00107.pdf
or download the system for free from: http://www.eExams.org
You raise a valid point. However, how can you practically “block the use of technology communication networks by students”?
Giving them computers with certain materials/software but no communication has been used before (successfully too). However, allowing students their own devices is a problem I do not know an answer to. Is there a reasonable answer out there?
Also, my students are not all as digitally native as you would suggest. I teach maths/stats. Students are given a choice between submitting assignments electronically or on paper. In a recent assignment with probability, more than half chose the paper option. Yes, there is a widespread usage of digital information and yes students prefer typing in some cases. However, sometimes (maths especially) pen and paper is the quicker ‘technology’.
Michael Kemp (CSU)
Hi Michael
Thanks for the article. The disconnect you highlight between learning and assessment technologies that you have identified at the University level has been occurring for some years now at the secondary level. Some students have used laptops for their entire secondary school only to be confronted with paper and pencil exams at the end of year 12 – ironically (and sadly) the students who have most embraced our fervour for the online delivery of learning material are perhaps the most disadvantaged. Just as the technology for the delivery of learning material has jumped ahead in leaps and bounds in recent years so has the technology for the delivery of assessment services – including technology to assist with identity verification and exam security. Rightly or wrongly assessment influences the way we teach and the way we learn – if we expect these digital natives to fully commit to online learning then we need to fully commit to online assessment.
Mike Kerry
Director
DeakinPrime
At last! I first proposed exams on personal computers in 1999.
Another important efficiency is in logistics: distributing exam papers securely to exam venues and distributing and tracking scripts.
Final exams are one of the few places that we can guarantee who did the work and under what conditions. If we loose that ability to officially accredit knowledge and ability, then we loose much of our public value. Until we find a way to replicate that security, I don’t see the exam as we know it going too far away. Especially in the age of custom paper writing services. It is too big of a risk for institutions, the students we teach, and the people who employ them based on trust in our ability to measure them.
The exams or assignments (in the case of essay submission) still need to be printed at some point for correction and marking by the examiner. I can’t correct 100 essays on screen, for instance. There are also many subjects taught and marked by sessional staff, so there would need to be some form of central printing of exam scripts and essays for these people who often don’t have proper access to university facilities.
I concur with other commentors. As long as we have a way to securely present and keep the exam material in a digital way there is no problem, but I would argue that Universities (and education in general) is not really fulfilling it’s aim of teaching people to THINK if all they do in an exam is look up the answers on google.