Abstract
AbstractThe rapid pivot to the online environment, necessitated by COVID‐19, has resulted in some universities adopting online meeting platforms, such as Zoom, for exam invigilation. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and reflect on the student experience of exams invigilated with an online meeting platform. In 2020, twenty‐four subjects with 1728 students with high stakes, final exams trialled online invigilation. In practise scenarios, online meeting settings were optimised for invigilation to ensure supportive yet rigorous exam conditions. The average exam mark for students who sat a paper‐based invigilated examination in 2019 across the twenty‐four subjects was 72% compared to 70% for the exams invigilated with online meetings in 2020. There was no significant difference in the distribution of exam marks and subject grades and there were no significant technical issues that impacted the exams. A student‐centred approach ensured that exam supervisors could answer student concerns before and during the examinations. This study demonstrates that the use of online meeting platforms, not specifically designed for exam proctoring, can be a cost‐effective and valid tool. With the higher education sector again weighing up alternatives to traditional invigilated exams into the future there is an opportunity to rethink technology‐mediated assessment of student learning. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic? Traditional examinations are a ubiquitous form of assessment, however, cheating in exams is less commonly detected than assignment outsourcing. Online examinations offer a flexible option for authentic assessment and are viewed favourably by students. Validating students’ identity, while maintaining a student‐centred environment has proven to be difficult. What this paper adds Online meeting tools offer a rigorous option for validating student identity and encouraging academic integrity in online exams. The methodology required to optimise online meeting settings. A whole institution approach to student support is required. Implications for practice and/or policy University leaders will be able to use the online exam settings and student support structure. When implementing invigilated online exams, educational practitioners should consider online meeting tools.
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