New Academic Policy requiring all exams and quizzes to be fully online

[Aster]

I have been told that our institution will be adopting a new policy that will require all exams and quizzes, for all professors, to be converted into a fully online format.

There will be no alternative forms of major assessment allowed that are not fully digital. This new policy will be across all departments and all disciplines. Art. Science. Math. Everything.

This is at a U.S. public institution.

Is anyone aware of something like this happening at other U.S. institutions? Is this even legal?

[waterboy]

It probably is legal...dumb, but legal.  I'm actually going back to paper exams in class for the fall 2024 semester.

[EdnaMode]

I agree that it's probably legal, but annoying. Are the courses all in-person? Hybrid? I'd be frustrated but would somehow manage to make it work. I'm in engineering with a lot of math and sketching so would probably have them do all their hand calcs and diagrams on paper, scan them, and upload them to our CMS. I'd also make sure I had a way to monitor the exams, like still have them in person at a scheduled class time, in a computer lab, to cut down on the potential for cheating.

[secundem_artem]

My college put this in place a few years back.  We use Blackboard and students need to engage the Respondus Lockdown Browser to lock out their ability to go online or anywhere other than the exam.  Technical problems galore.  System crashes, insufficient bandwidth for the entire class to be on at the same time, problems with the Lockdown browser. 

I got around it by never using exams, but for those who do, it's been kinda bumpy,

But we've saved nearly $11.23 cents in printing costs so at least we got that going for us.

[Kron3007]

That's crazy.  I don't know.about legality, but I believe it is pretty. Lear in our collective agreement that we get to decide.  Hopefully this doesn't change....

[Wahoo Redux]

I'm surprised considering the rise in AI.  I would have thought more profs were moving back to in-class paper quizzes and exams. 

[lightning]

Why would your institution want to do that?

Is it a 20-years-behind-the-times attempt at using analytics?

If the admincritters at my place attempted a blanket requirement for all profs to administer tests in the same manner, the pitchforks would come out.

[marshwiggle]

I'm surprised considering the rise in AI.  I would have thought more profs were moving back to in-class paper quizzes and exams.

Why would your institution want to do that?

Scalability, my friends. All online exams makes it easier to increase numbers, add satellite sites, and offer fully-online versions of courses. That all translates to a lower cost-per-bum-in-(virtual)-seat.

[Hibush]

I'm surprised considering the rise in AI.  I would have thought more profs were moving back to in-class paper quizzes and exams.

Why would your institution want to do that?

Scalability, my friends. All online exams makes it easier to increase numbers, add satellite sites, and offer fully-online versions of courses. That all translates to a lower cost-per-bum-in-(virtual)-seat.

Feed the rubric to your favorite GenAI and let it do the grading. They charge for the virtual TA now, but still cheaper and scalable.

[Dismal]

I wouldn't like that mostly because I think the lock down surveillance system is a creepy idea. I am moving away from relying mostly on out of classroom assessments and towards in class to due AI.

[clean]

Add Group Me and the Lock Down Browser and scores will skyrocket.  The use of exams to differentiate a student that understands and knows the material and one that does not is lost.

I suppose that using an online proctor like Examity is restricted?  IF not, then that is the faculty response.  They are certainly not as good as in class exams, but they are light years above the lock down browser.  (If only because the lockdown browser can not correct a problem.  The live proctor can remind them to stay in the camera, correct other misbehavior, do room scans, and investigate suspicious behavior (if they are actually paying attention, though the LDB is never paying attention!))

[artalot]

Check your faculty handbook. My uni does not have a union, but we do have a handbook that stipulates that curricular decisions remain with the faculty. I do use online testing, but it should not be forced upon anyone.
Also, check what your uni says about online teaching and intellectual property. Can they give your exams to another professor if you put them up on the CMS? If so, I'd fight that really hard. You created those exams; they are your intellectual property. If the uni wants to make them more widely available, you need to be compensated.

[whistle_nutz]

Why would your institution want to do that?

Why? LOL. Obviously, to allow cheating and boost retention. That's it.

[the_geneticist]

I'd push back hard.

Either choose the faculty handbook/union route OR demand the $$$ & space it would take to make this logistically possible (computer labs, proctors, reliable internet, etc.)

Or do both. 

[bio-nonymous]

I teach a class where we do all exams online--but the exams are done in a proctored classroom while the studetns are restricted to a lockdown browser to access the exams. This gives the "advantages" of an "online exam" without the disadvantages I think.