Adapted Examination Formats

In order to ensure a legally correct examination, certain checks are always carried out on who completes the examination and this is done in accordance with given instructions, e.g. by the examination proctor in the examination hall or by the plagiarism control system, “Urkund” for take-home exams and essays. The transition from hall exams to take-home exams at short notice, entails certain challenges because the control possibilities are not the same at home as in the examination hall. However, the need to ensure that the right person takes the examination and that it takes place in accordance with the examination instructions is unchanged.

Deviations from Course and Study Programs

The transition to examinations at home means that the university will have to deviate from the course programs that apply to our education programs. Due to the spread of Covid-19, the vice-chancellor made the following decision (Dnr MIUN 2020/630):

“Deviations from (adaptions to) course and study programs are allowed regarding the formats for assessing students’ performance and for teaching to enable course completion at home, all the while maintaining the same educational quality as far as possible. Decisions on deviations are made by the dean. These decisions may be delegated to the department head, but not further."

The vice-chancellor’s decision provides a wide scope for adaptation of the examination formats as long as educational quality is maintained. Examinations and appropriate checks to ensure a legally correct examination can be designed in an appropriate manner with the support of the decision. We can make the adjustments we deem necessary as long as the measures we take do not impede students from being treated equally, the measures taken being objectively justified, and any negative consequences for the students are proportional to our purpose with the measures (equality principle, objectivity principle and proportionality principle).

Please note that the vice-chancellor’s decision is justified by the exceptional circumstances prevailing as a result of Covid-19. Adaptations of examination formats that are made with the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision must have their basis in the challenges that the Covid-19 crises has created. Other changes to teaching and examination formats, which are not a direct consequence of Covid-19, shall be decided in ordinary procedures and not with the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision.

Examples of Examination Formats

Below are some examples that have been used since the transition to home examinations were carried out:

• Exams in home environments with streamed (not recording) monitoring via Zoom

• Written home exams with subsequent oral spot-checking to ensure that students are able to account for their answers

• Written home exams for the grade E and then oral exams for higher grades

• Examination seminars in groups, with or without a supplementary written assignment.

Home Examination in Zoom

Such an adaptation can be made with the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision. Supervision of students who write their exam via Zoom involves the processing of personal data. Monitoring must therefore be done in a manner that is compatible with GDPR and the Data Protection Act.

All personal data management requires that there is a legal basis. The legal basis for processing personal data during examination is that the processing is a necessary part of the university’s exercise of authority, e.g. examination. Livestreaming through Zoom is in many cases the only practical possibility of conducting control of examinations at home and can therefore generally be regarded as a necessary part of the examination. Recording of hall exams is a significantly greater infringement of privacy and will therefore not occur. Only real-time monitoring is thus allowed.

If identification during a digital examination is to be done through the presentation of IDs, there is a risk that, e.g. the personal identification number can be seen by other examination participants. Identification by IDs must therefore be done in such a way that other participants are not able to see the personal identification number or other unique information, e.g. by having the students admitted one by one into the Zoom room.

It is important that students are properly informed about how monitoring is accomplished and that no recording will take place.

An example of the examination instruction for Zoom exams can be found here, link to Peter Glan’s example instructions.

Written Examinations with Subsequent Oral Spot-checking

Such an adaptation can be made with the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision. Spot-checks are objectively justified because we have a need to be able to verify that students have completed the examination according to the instructions. It can be assumed that many students may feel uncomfortable in that they may be contacted to show that they can explain their solutions. However, the university’s need to ensure the quality of the examination decisions takes precedence over the students’ experience of discomfort by knowing the risk of being contacted for spot-checking. This adaptation is objectively justified, and the measure may be considered proportionate to the purpose of ensuring legality during examination.

Of course, there is no obstacle to contacting all examined students instead of contacting them randomly if the number of examined students allows for such an arrangement.

Written Home Exam for the Grade E and Oral Supplementary Examination for a Higher Grade

Such an adaptation can be introduced with the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision. This examination format also requires that a student must have obtained a certain mark on the examination to be allowed to take the oral examination.

This examination format is objectively justified because the purpose is to ensure that the student has the knowledge required to achieve the various grade levels. The need for supervision outweighs the discomfort some students may feel for an oral examination. Since all students have the same opportunity to conduct the examination, the rule does not contravene the rules that everyone should be treated equally. This also applies in cases where the student must achieve a certain level of points in order to be able to take the oral examination for a higher grade. The adjustment is objectively justified, and the measure may be considered proportionate to the purpose of ensuring legality during examination.

It should be added that some type of control is needed to prevent cheating even for students who are satisfied with the grade E, e.g. through a spot-checking procedure.

Oral Seminar, with or without a Supplementary Written Assignment

With the support of the vice-chancellor’s decision, such an adaptation can be made. This examination format is objectively justified because an oral examination enables the assessment of a student’s level of knowledge.

If we replace written hall examinations with oral examinations at a group seminar, it can be assumed that some students will experience it as a more sensitive and discriminatory form of examination than the written one. However, the university’s need to be able to make a legally correct assessment of a student’s performance weighs more heavily than a student’s possible discomfort of having to test orally in a group at a seminar.

This adaptation is objectively justified, and the measure may be considered proportionate to the purpose of ensuring legality during examination.

Also Consider the Following when Deviating from Course and Study Programs

All deviations must be documented in a decision. Indicate in the decision all deviations from the program that have been made, what timeframe the deviations encompass and how communication with the students has taken place.

Deviations must be designed so that the expected study results can be achieved even if the compulsory elements and examination formats are changed.

Prior to a decision, consultations with the student representative should be made as far as possible.

The decision must be communicated with the students concerned in such a way that it can be ensured as far as possible that they have been reached by the information.