Use of E-exams in High Stakes Law School Examinations: Student and Staff Reactions

Abstract

Australian law schools have just begun to move towards e-exams. There are a number of drivers encouraging Australian universities to introduce e-exams, including economic pressures, a desire to reduce administrative burdens, and changes to workplaces. Logistically, e-exams may assist with paper distribution, script legibility and shorter marking times. Pedagogical arguments in favour of e-exams rely on the fact that students already use technology daily and complete the bulk of their university work on computers. In this context, handwriting an exam has been described as an ‘anachronism’. More specifically, traditional handwriting of examinations in contemporary contexts is seen as a ‘misalignment of assessment practice to the learning environment’. Such misalignment can result in diminished learning outcomes. However, there is little literature addressing the adoption of e-exams for formal high stakes summative exams. Much of the research to date has focused on small scale, informal low stakes tests in non-law disciplines. Within Australia, whether e-exams are appropriate or effective has been the subject of a number of reported trials, but none have specifically reported on law students. In 2016 UNSW Law sought to rectify this and undertook such a trial. This article provides empirical insight into the process and student perceptions for a high stakes summative e-exam. It analyses students’ attitudes and concerns prior to the introduction of the e-exam platform, as well as after they had completed the exam. We also provide insights into the important procedural aspects associated with high stakes exams and staff responses to the process, issues not previously reported on.