Online exams

Our goal is to ensure that students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in the best possible way. At the same time, we have a responsibility to prevent cheating and unauthorised cooperation.

The situation can feel strange for both students and teachers and there is a risk of technical issues, both when exam is created and when it is held. In addition, we’re under unusual time pressure to change exam formats as a result of the current situation. There is no best way to conduct an online exam. The important thing is to choose a format that works for both teachers and the students. Where possible, it is a good idea to use exam formats and tools with which the students are already familiar.

Individual Exams

A quick way to transition from a traditional written exam to an online exam is to use Zoom to monitor unauthorized cooperation. The students sit the exam in a Zoom-room with the camera and microphone turned on so that the teacher can monitor the exam. The exams can be handed in through the assessment submission tool in Moodle and if the exams are typed, not hand-written, Urkund can be used to check for plagiarism.

Moodle has a powerful system for webb-based exams that facilitates the use of different types of questions, from simple multiple-choice questions and animations to calculations and essays. It is possible for exams to be auto-marked so that students receive their results immediately after completing it. It is time consuming to create good question banks and some of the tools (e.g. calculation questions) can be tricky to use in the beginning. We recommend that students are given the change to do a mock test before the real exam so they can familiarise themselves with the format.

There are systems to make each student’s exam unique. The risk of unauthorised cooperation can be reduced if the exam has a common stating point, is unique, and is done during reasonable time pressure. It is also possible to arrange for students to submit scanned papers or photos through Moodle to show that they have answered the questions on their own.

Zoom can be used for oral exams. The record function enables the exam to be documented, thereby ensuring the integrity of the exam. It is also possible to allow the student to use the Zoom whiteboard to show how they solve tasks in real time but it can be challenging for students to use the tool if they have not had the opportunity to practice beforehand.

Moodle’s submission tool for assessments can be used to hand in essays and home assessments. Grades and feedback are then given through the same system.

The advantage of using Moodle for exams is that all submissions are registered and managed in one system which reduces a lot of administration for individual teachers. This simplifies work for the whole teaching team and reduces vulnerability if colleagues become sick.

Group exams and seminars

Zoom has several tools that can be used for group exams and seminars. Generally speaking, it is more challenging to get a general discussion going between students in a virtual classroom. By using Zoom’s tool for break out rooms, you can help facilitate active discussions in smaller groups. To help, there is functionality in Zoom, which allows you to ask simple questions to monitor progress or feedback.

It’s important that you feel comfortable using the different tools Zoom before the exam. Practice using it beforehand with some of your colleagues. We also recommend you to start with a few minutes sound-check before the seminar begins so that you are sure the technology works for all participants.

For more information: 

• MIUN's Moodle Manual
• MIUN's introduction to tests in Moodle
• MIUN's introduction on the assignment in Moodle
• Moodle Quiz activity
• MIUN's introduction to Zoom
• Zoom Managing Breakout Rooms
• Zoom Polling for Webinars
• Zoom, videos at Youtube, to help users get started