As we find ourselves at the end of week two of alternate delivery, the question of Assessment has become a hot topic across the Trades programs in BC, and throughout Canada.

In this section, I share with you some key resources that may support your decisions to approach assessment in ways that differ from your traditional classroom models, including the use of online multiple-choice quizzes.

To get you started, here is short video in which D’Arcy gives a solid technical reason that Zoom can’t reliably be used for the purpose of exam proctoring. Enjoy.

https://darcynorman.net/2020/03/23/zoom-online-exam-proctoring-demo/

The failings of technology are not the only reasons to avoid using Online Proctoring tools. An issue referred to as the Digital Divide, meaning that our most vulnerable students are faced with challenges associated with access to the necessary tools and resources when exams are proctored online, is explained here by McGill university.

Issues with using online proctored exams: McGill does not recommend the use of online proctored exams, for example, using tools such as Respondus Lockdown and Monitor or Zoom, for the following reasons:

1.   There is a serious risk of technical failure due to the necessity for extended, sustained internet access. If something goes wrong, there is no backup. If a student’s wifi drops, their computer crashes, etc., there is no way to do the exam in an alternate way.

2.     Anxiety. In an already stressful situation, this could put students over the edge. A locked down final exam where your cat jumps and sets off a warning flag will cause serious anxiety.

3.     Students may not have access to laptops, and even if they do, they may not have the permissions needed to install the required software.

4.     Lockdown only applies to one device, so if students have access to more than one device, they can use those for accessing resources and information.

5.     Students may be in different time zones, thus creating significant obstacles for those who would be writing in the middle of the night