A Journey Through Online
Language Learning
Assessment > Examination
Things to consider
Examinations can be more easily organized in a blended learning context, where they can take place in a traditional classroom setting and students be visually monitored by a tutor, than in a fully online course. Larger online programmes, such as those offered by the External System of the University of London tend to hold exams in a physical common location in the presence of a supervisor.
The list below is particularly relevant to fully online exams that take place without tutor supervision.
- As with any other exam, your exam questions should be clearly designed as students will not have the opportunity to ask for clarifications. Always provide detailed instructions that leave the student in no doubt about what he or she is expected to do.
- Schedule your exams well in advance and keep your students informed. When scheduling the exam you will need to think of the different time zones your students are in, and their other commitments such as work, family, etc,
- Give students a number of hours or days to do a written exam, this will need to take into account time zones and student commitments, as above.
- Think of a secure and clear system for submission of written exams, especially if you intend to correct the exams anonymously.
- Consider your options when it comes to developing and organizing oral examinations. Freeware videoconferencing tools such as Skype are an option and are used successfully in this context in Lagelands and Hogelands.
- It is a good idea to record the oral exam with a freeware audio recorder, such as Audacity, to ensure transparency of the examination process. Files can then be saved as mp3’s for easy access.
- Plagiarism and cheating are important issues you should consider when drafting and organizing exams. Tips on how to draft exams to limit the possibility of plagiarism and cheating you will find under the sub-header Plagiarism.
- Think of the possibility of technical failure. You need a contingency plan in case there are technical problems during the written or oral examination that may prevent students from finishing or even starting the exam and thus disadvantaging their results.
- Describe the examination procedure to your students in great detail, providing them with all possible information to ensure the smooth running of the exam.
- Give your students the opportunity to do practice exams online. This will help them feel more prepared for the real thing.
Examples
- Examinations in Lagelands, Hogelands and Business Dutch (JAPANESE??)
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