On May 10, the first online test in HZAU, the final exam of the course “Swine Production” was carried out successfully through the internet. The course is offered by College of Animal Science and Technology (CAST) and College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).
It was an open book exam conducted with the help of QQ, a Chinese instant messaging software, via which digital exam papers and answer sheets were distributed to students and collected during the exam. Creatively, Tencent Meeting, a Zoom-like video conferencing platform was utilized to invigilate exams remotely, minimizing possibilities of cheating and academic misconduct. Webcam invigilation also enabled the inspectors from Undergraduate School as well as CAST and CVM to check the organization and procedures of the exam, thereby ensuring that the first proctored online exam in HZAU would be conducted successfully.
Thanks to the endeavor of all involved, the exam was proven to be going on smoothly in all aspects. Before the commencement of the assessment, the invigilators debugged devices and counted the number of examinees whose student ID cards were checked at the same time. After highlighting exam rules, they distributed papers to the students and watched over the exam before all the answer sheets were collected. Step by step, the online examine was organized in a standard and trustworthy way, with all of exam rules observed strictly throughout the entire process. Complying with the exam rules, the candidates followed any instructions given by the invigilators and remained focused during the exam.
HZAU underscores that parallel efforts must be made to guarantee quality online teaching and testing during pandemic. All faculty members in HZAU are required to carry out teaching in strict accordance with the teaching schedule and plan, and to organize online assessments as scheduled in the end of the course, the content of which needs to cover everything taught in online classes. With the strict procedures and management, the effects of online exams of every course, must be guaranteed as valid and reliable as on-site exams.
In an effort to manage online exam process, the administrators in Undergraduate School of HZAU formulated the Guidance on Online Exams for Spring Semester 2020 after extensive research and thorough discussions. The Guidance provides a framework for faculty to design and review papers, organize online exams, keep digital records, etc., which helps create a fair and impartial exam environment for all candidates.
Besides closed-book or open-book exams, more flexible and diversified methods of assessment are encouraged to evaluate students’ academic performance, such as essay, report, group project, oral test, presentation, etc., the focus of which, according to the Guidance, tends to assess students’ abilities to apply knowledge and critical thinking.
In the seminar series organized by Undergraduate School, the faculty have discussed learning and teaching online practices, especially about how to design and prepare papers, how to conduct secure exams through the internet, and which online assessment platforms or apps to select. Through technical training and exchanges of online teaching and testing experience, the examiners have been exploring the appropriate ways of online exams for different courses.
More than 200 course exams or assessment will be conducted online in HZAU, instead of on-site exams due to repercussions of Covid-19 pandemic. Challenging and complex as the work is, the university has promised to reinforce the management of online assessment, encourage teachers to carry out multiple ways of evaluation encompassing open questions, as well as to promote students’ academic integrity. Multi-pronged measures, therefore, will be taken to contribute to a smooth conduct of online exams in spring semester.
Source: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2020/0511/57218.shtml
Translated by: Jin Bei
Proofread by: Yang Fengxia & Ding Peng
