“Exams by You”: Having Students Write and Complete Their Own Exams During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to proctor exams after the forced transition to remote teaching and learning.ObjectiveWe evaluated students’ experiences creating and answering their own exam items in an upper-level psychology course during the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodStudents in an advanced social psychology course wrote and answered exam items to demonstrate their learning when proctored exams became impossible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The exams were graded for breadth, depth, and accuracy, and compared to other demonstrations of learning, including traditional in-class exams taken prior to the transition to remote teaching and learning.ResultsStudents performed well on these exams. Students reported positive perceptions of these exams during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reported that, while these exams reduced test anxiety, they were time-intensive.ConclusionStudents can demonstrate their learning by writing and completing their own exams. Their higher grades may be related to reduced test anxiety and greater time investments.Teaching ImplicationsInstructors should consider having students write and complete their own exams to demonstrate their learning, especially when proctoring exams is difficult or impossible.