STUDENTS REPORTING TO SCHOOL FOR FINAL EXAM
Should students enrolled in an on-line course be required to report to the school and instructor to take the final exam?
jason,
Excellent point.....Gather because we need the data vs Gather because the data look good on the shelf....
Shelly Crider
In a more visual oriented class the idea of summative assessment has always been a problem with me. Sure there will always be terminology to quiz or test on, but really the idea of multiple choice to gauge understanding? It is a trend of data gathering that us online instructors need to question from time to time. Gather because we need the data vs Gather because the data look good on the shelf.
Alicia,
It may also need to be something stated up-front. It depends on how geographically diverse your population is.
Best,
Jon
Laura,
This is a possibility, but is a real logistical issue!
Jon
I agree proctoring exams is the best alternative for online courses. Unfortunately, there is a world of diversity and your solution might not be the best one all participating parties. You would have to put yourself in their situation. Maybe providing a threaded discussion to determine the majorities vote will help clarify the circumstances.
I agree that proctored exams are the solution if you might be concerned about cheating. Verses online you dont really know if indeed the student is the one taking the exam. Incase that the student is out of town you have to be well organized to have it posted in the begining of when the class is opened. That way the get enough time to plan ahead.They can also have other recognized institutions proctor the exam.
Tatyana,
That will really depend on your institution's (or your) instructional philosophy. There is nothing in the online environment that pushes the decision in either direction.
In my experience, few of the institutions I work with allow that.
Best,
Jon
If the student fails the online midterm or final exam, does he/she have the chance to retake it?
I think that the scenerio type and essay questions are really the best way to go, it allows and forces the student to think and display what they've learned by conveying their responses to you, making you understand their logic and reasoning in a more detailed manner than a yes/no, true/false question.
No It should be like they learned it.
Lisa,
Good point - some programs (especially where there are specific licensing requirements) will need to use a mixed approach like this.
Thanks,
Jon
My mother actually works at an institution that does an online Master of Medical Sciences degree online, but the institution mandates in the syllabus that the students must take the mid-term and final on the campus (they are a multi-part exams comprised of practicals and written components). This degree is specifially designed for physician assistants, nurses, and physical therapists who wish to pursue a master's degree. In short, these people have medical careers and find it difficult to get onto campus for their exams; however, this is what they signed up for. Yes, an online exam would be more convenient, but ultimately in sacrificing the on-campus exams, the online degree would suffer because there are components of the instruction that cannot be assessed on a computer. Concepts can be tested utilizing the internet but practicals can not.
First Question,
No the weekly quizzes stay the same,but occasionally they do get change around and new questions added.
Second Question,
This is also the same as question ones answer.
Norma:
Agreed on all counts, except one. I believe the option to answer questions in any order, and the ability to change answers should be features of the Quiz, especially if the Quiz is timed. Students should have the same options as if they were doing a paper-based version fo the Quiz.
Two questions for you.
1. Do they change the weekly quizzes each time the course is offered?
2. Do they change the final exam each time the course is offered.
Satrohan
The online location that I am familiar with gives weekly quizzes which are timed which is good because you have 1 minute to answer the question and you can not go back to change an answer,and you have to report to the school's location in order to take your final exam proctored by the Instructor. In my opinon this is the way it should be, because then you can monitor the student taking a test as opposed to them taking it at home or work and having someone help them with the answers.
Yes, there are some that choose to travel, but a lot of those were set up befo9re the energy crises as wel,l, and one major factor in our loss of students is because they do not want to travel over 50 miles to come to school because gasoline have been at much as $3.84 here in Houston. Through our software provides for court reporting, we can control the testing environment so a student can only test once, and it mixes up the tests so they cannot send the info to another. I don't know why other courses could not have the same abilities placed into their softwares.
Adarine:
please refer to my response to this queestion that I posted on October 08. It elaborates on your question.
Satrohan
Corrine:
Certainly no one would want to do this unless it was specified in the course description. Some students in aviation, fo example, do have to travel to take exams on-site because the facility to do the practical aspect of their exam is not available elsewhere in their location. For other forms of certification, there are facilities in which students take proctored exams. The Instructor does not have to be the there to supervise. Some instituions who are protective of their credibility and the credibility of their programs, do require proctored exams especially at the graduate level for professional programs, such as MBAs.
Can you think of other reasons why an institution would administer proctored exams?
Satrohan
Online courses have been extremely helpful during this time of crisis of fuel so what would be the use of requiring a student to come in to take a final with an instructor when the student may possibly be out of state? That would defeat the purpose of the online course.
