tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/exams-7136/articlesExams – La Conversation2024-03-26T05:37:12Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2265062024-03-26T05:37:12Z2024-03-26T05:37:12ZIf uni marks are going up, does that mean there’s a problem?<p>In 1894, Harvard University commissioned a report on grading standards, <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/mic.20130080">due to concerns</a> that:</p>
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<p>Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily – Grade A for work of no very high merit, and Grade B for work not far above mediocrity.</p>
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<p>More than a century later, the fear of declining academic standards continues. In Australia, there are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/distinctions-with-a-difference-top-grades-double-for-students-at-state-s-biggest-unis-20230628-p5dk6x.html">ongoing media reports</a> about universities awarding increasing numbers of high grades. Evidence has also been found in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2015.1019450">United Kingdom</a> and the <a href="https://amacad.org/sites/default/files/academy/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/Evaluation_and_the_Academy.pdf">United States</a>. Some US studies suggest grade averages have been steadily increasing since at least <a href="https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2134/jae.1977.0029?casa_token=orjvRdYkto4AAAAA:oKoTK7wh6Ew3WHhFzise5SSyevXxSFb1q3dn6-KYVwxhZKADfxlBbWis-SQj-_P1j0ijw861SJFCi10z">the early 1960s</a>.</p>
<p>This week, a report by academics at the University of Sydney <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/distinction-the-new-credit-grade-inflation-puts-uni-integrity-at-risk-20240321-p5fe7i.html">found</a> a 234% increase in the number of high distinctions awarded to students at the university between 2011 and 2021 (the university notes it changed its grading model in 2012).</p>
<p>Education experts call this “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Grade_Inflation/EZcMBwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">grade inflation</a>”. It is often presented as a negative, a sign of lowering standards. However, this is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02602938.2020.1795617">only one way</a> to look at the phenomenon of marks going up.</p>
<h2>What are grades for?</h2>
<p>Behind concerns about grade inflation are assumptions about what grades are and what they are meant to do. </p>
<p>Several decades ago, assessment used to be “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0305498870130207">norm referenced</a>”. This means the performance of students was measured against their peers. In this system, the best students get high distinctions, the worst fail and there’s a bell curve in between. This holds true regardless of the quality of the teaching and the capability of the students.</p>
<p>A high distinction in this system communicates you were one of the best students. It’s a commodity valuable primarily because of its rarity, like a gold medal at the Olympics. It says nothing about what you are capable of, because your performance was entirely judged against what your peers could do.</p>
<p>But norm referenced assessment has since gone out of fashion. In Australia, the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2021L00488/latest/text">Higher Education Standards Framework</a> now requires students to be assessed against predetermined standards. If a student meets the standard for a high distinction, they get one. </p>
<p>The mark of high distinction signals they met a very high standard. The performance of their peers does not matter. If there’s a particularly strong student cohort, or improvements to teaching, more people get high grades.</p>
<h2>There has been a change in assessment</h2>
<p>Grades are the product of assessment, so significant changes to assessment in recent years may also have driven grade inflation. </p>
<p>On top of the move towards standards-based assessments, many universities now give students rubrics (or scoring guides) before they begin their work. </p>
<p>These guides tell students how their work will be graded. So it’s no surprise they can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-023-09823-4">lead to significant improvements</a> in student performance. If we tell students <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-017-0220-3">what good work looks like</a>, they are more likely to be able to do it and achieve higher grades.</p>
<p>Similarly, there is growing attention given to the quality of <a href="https://feedbackforlearning.org/">feedback practices in higher education</a>. We know feedback is a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03087/full">significant part</a> of student learning. </p>
<p>So, in a standards-based grading system, where grades are directly tied to student learning outcomes, this improvement in performance should naturally translate to higher grades.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-the-way-universities-assess-students-starting-with-these-3-things-203048">We need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things</a>
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<h2>Other explanations</h2>
<p>There are other explanations for why grades have been going up. </p>
<p>Since 1979, some academics have been arguing <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00220485.1975.10845408?casa_token=AoFRErzj3dsAAAAA:O310Pi2mHLhWq9Mal8-hAdZMiu041H220fWXPnmM81N1NYgj6uIa_MFizxF1E6uoKEIxIh9HV7Gnyw">student evaluations</a> drive grade inflation.</p>
<p>This refers to the increasing practice of universities asking students for feedback on their lecturers and tutors, which in turn has an impact on academics’ career progression. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00220485.1988.10845263?casa_token=25386ZE1GdkAAAAA:aiiwHSCB8nI2CVtsGirDUTRS5C1vQdtR9Acts3cW-YuCNO2Z_rnNos8OLsr7ZHcPCMabpZUDgm9IQw">logic is</a>, if teachers give students a better grade they will get better evaluation scores. </p>
<p>But while there is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2020.1821866?casa_token=U5gWb3TdiQIAAAAA%3A9yUPDxfPlhoNUnxQn2cxBQO9UqXvJDMAI93YoxCq-WHozax3tsFYupBKd8_Wku3Gh4aL1CEJnZlBOA">some correlation</a> between students who get better grades giving better scores to their teacher, it’s not clear if this is a causal link. It might be that successful students like their teachers more, or perhaps students learn more from people they think are good teachers.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-developed-a-way-to-screen-student-feedback-to-ensure-its-useful-not-abusive-and-academics-dont-have-to-burn-it-185041">We have developed a way to screen student feedback to ensure it's useful, not abusive (and academics don't have to burn it)</a>
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<h2>‘Grade improvement’</h2>
<p>Society depends on universities to produce competent graduates and grades are one signal of competence. </p>
<p>But we need to be careful about equating rising grades with declining academic standards. </p>
<p>If better teaching is enabling students to meet a higher standard then <a href="https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/sites/default/files/basic-page-supplementary-materials-files/2002-kohn-dangerous_myth_of_grade_inflation.pdf">it’s not grade inflation</a>, it’s actually “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02602938.2020.1795617">grade improvement</a>”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226506/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phillip Dawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, the federal Department of Education, education technology hub EduGrowth, and online assessment companies Turnitin and Inspera.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Corbin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Education experts call it ‘grade inflation’. This comes amid reports of more high distinctions being awarded at some Australian universities.Phillip Dawson, Professor and Co-Director, Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin UniversityThomas Corbin, Research fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2250852024-03-06T19:15:26Z2024-03-06T19:15:26ZNAPLAN testing is about to start. How can you support an anxious child?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580059/original/file-20240306-22-ri320g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C92%2C5582%2C3598&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/search/child%20worried%20school/?orientation=landscape">Jonas Mohamadi/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>From March 13, NAPLAN testing for 2024 <a href="https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/key-dates">will begin</a>. Over the following two weeks, all Australian students in years 3,5,7 and 9 are expected to sit tests in literacy and numeracy.</p>
<p>Results are then aggregated for schools and other demographics and made public. Students also get their <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-parents-should-and-shouldnt-say-when-talking-to-their-child-about-naplan-results-189636">individual results</a>. </p>
<p>For students in Year 3, this will be their first experience of a formal test. For others, they will be sitting the test among school and <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fvictoria-education%2Fnaplan-scores-reveal-victorias-top-schools%2Fnews-story%2F3f5ba1b091238e8c5dc139ad34740af2&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE">media hype</a> about the “importance of NAPLAN”. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-avoid-annoying-your-kids-and-getting-stressed-by-proxy-during-exam-season-200719">How to avoid annoying your kids and getting 'stressed by proxy' during exam season</a>
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<h2>The NAPLAN debate</h2>
<p>Since it was introduced in 2008, NAPLAN has polarised the community. Some education experts see it as <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2021/05/10/1383196/learning-from-disruption-why-we-should-rethink-the-place-of-naplan-in-our-schools">counterproductive</a> (with too much emphasis on test performance rather than learning). Others emphasise the <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-we-wouldnt-know-without-naplan-94286">importance of the data</a> collected, and how this informs teaching practice and school funding.</p>
<p>One of the prevailing concerns relates to the impact on <a href="https://all-learning.org.au/app/uploads/2021/05/Putting-Students-First_final.pdf">student wellbeing</a>. </p>
<p>While many students do not feel any anxiety, one <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00049441211061889">2022 study</a> of more than 200 high school students found 48% felt worried about what the test would be like and how they would perform. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02680939.2017.1305451?casa_token=rnwVm0381fsAAAAA:Wbz40LeJsRLw80DTQFnecubaRTDck5AM0H6p4tRu6VjwOyIYSdjRFr8GFBwNCLrwpLOZLjGi4R9U">A 2017 study</a> of more than 100 primary students revealed up to 20% of children had a physical response to the test, such as feeling sick, not sleeping well, headaches or crying.</p>
<p>For parents, the stress and anxiety their child experiences in the lead up to NAPLAN can cause them to worry and even <a href="https://theconversation.com/naplan-results-inform-schools-parents-and-policy-but-too-many-kids-miss-the-tests-altogether-201371">withdraw</a> their child from the assessment.</p>
<p>But test anxiety is not inevitable. Here are some simple things parents and teachers can do to support students, not just for this assessment, but into the future. </p>
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<img alt="Two young students sit cross legged in a playground, looking at work books." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580055/original/file-20240306-30-nvuda.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">NAPLAN tests students progress in reading, writing and maths.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/young-diverse-pupils-studying-lesson-together-while-sitting-in-yard-5896577/">Mary Taylor/ Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/naplan-results-inform-schools-parents-and-policy-but-too-many-kids-miss-the-tests-altogether-201371">NAPLAN results inform schools, parents and policy. But too many kids miss the tests altogether</a>
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<h2>1. Talk about the purpose of the test</h2>
<p>NAPLAN is not just about individual student results and whether you are a “good” at maths or “bad” at reading. It’s about informing teaching and learning. </p>
<p>The results help teachers do their jobs by identifying areas of reading, writing and maths that need more attention. This can help individual students, classes or entire schools.</p>
<p>When the results are collected at state and national levels, they also help tell governments where to put more efforts and funding to help support students. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-australian-students-really-falling-behind-it-depends-which-test-you-look-at-218709">Are Australian students really falling behind? It depends which test you look at</a>
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</p>
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<h2>2. Talk about how the test is a journey (not a destination)</h2>
<p>Children learn from experience. This enables them to predict what might happen in similar future events. </p>
<p>Talk about NAPLAN as “practice” for future tests. So if you sit NAPLAN test in your younger school years this will help you handle other tests in senior school or maybe even university. </p>
<p>Emphasise that sitting the test is not about a particular outcome or result. It’s about embarking on an experience and learning what it is like to do a standardised tests. In this way, NAPLAN can help students build <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00049441211061889">resilience</a>. </p>
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<img alt="A young girl works at a laptop, with bookcases behind her, lined with books." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580056/original/file-20240306-28-oxcats.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Tests like NAPLAN can help prepare your child for other challenges.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-long-sleeve-shirt-using-macbook-4A1pj4_vClA">Annie Spratt/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>3. Teach your child to manage anxiety</h2>
<p>Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be <a href="https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/ebmental/25/3/135.full.pdf">successful</a> in addressing anxiety symptoms in children. </p>
<p>Mindfulness can teach children to recognise anxiety symptoms such as a fast heart beat, shortness of breath or racing thoughts. By encouraging children to focus on the present moment, mindfulness can help children through improved concentration, better emotional regulation and fostering a sense of calm. </p>
<p>Smiling Mind is an Australian app designed to teach children to be mindful in a developmentally appropriate and guided way. The app is free to download and use. You could sit or lie down with your child and do a “body scan” (where you scan your entire body and notice how it feels) or a listening practice (where you pay attention to the sounds around you). </p>
<p>If your child is experiencing significant test anxiety, such as headaches, tummy pains or a racing heart, there may be more to it than just concerns about NAPLAN. For children aged 12–18, <a href="https://headspace.org.au">Headspace</a> – Australia’s mental health foundation for young people – offers a range of services. </p>
<p>For younger children, or if you are still concerned, speak to your child’s teacher, the school counsellor or your GP.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225085/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Leslie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Next week, Australian schools will begin NAPLAN tests for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.Rachel Leslie, Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy with a focus on Educational Psychology, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212302024-01-17T15:41:01Z2024-01-17T15:41:01ZShould Kenya abolish all school exams? Expert sets out five reasons why they’re still useful<p>The role of <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/education/article/2001488553/highlights-of-the-2023-kcse-results">examinations</a> in Kenyan schools is under scrutiny. This is because there is a lot that is wrong with the country’s examinations, a situation that threatens to derail <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-new-education-curriculum-is-a-triumph-for-kenyas-children-75090">education gains made over the decades</a>. </p>
<p>For instance, for two consecutive years – <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-10-12-report-how-cheating-was-orchestrated-in-2022-kcse-exam/">last year and the year before</a> – the periods during the country’s national examination period were marred by <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2024-01-08-kcse-results-for-4109-candidates-suspected-of-cheating-withheld/">allegations of leaked tests</a>. These allegations are linked to <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001302037/exam-cheating-cartel-exposed">cartels</a> which make money from parents and learners.</p>
<p>There were also reports this year of high school students receiving <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2024-01-10-kcse-2023-candidates-schools-and-parents-in-shock-over-changing-grades/">contradicting results</a> from the examinations results portal. </p>
<p>These issues cast doubt on the trustworthiness of the examining body and the ministry of education in general. </p>
<p>In 2017 the government set out to replace summative examinations – national tests done at the end of eight years of primary school and four years of high school – with continuous assessments. Most students have moved over to the new system, which revolves around a <a href="https://theconversation.com/6-priorities-to-get-kenyas-curriculum-back-on-track-or-risk-excluding-many-children-from-education-195235">competency-based curriculum</a>. But four more cohorts of students still have to sit the annual national high school examinations under Kenya’s old education curriculum. There is still a lot that is unclear about how the new curriculum will assess students in secondary school.</p>
<p>As someone who has been <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=12A_S6QAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">involved in education for over 20 years</a>, I believe that exams are crucial. There are five main reasons for this, including highlighting inequalities in the education system and providing learners with guidance on their career path.</p>
<p>But they need to be done right to be effective. For any system to work efficiently – which Kenya’s doesn’t – this includes changing a situation in which so much relies on the exam outcome. Other career pathways need to be opened up so that children aren’t under such huge pressure. Also, schools need adequate staffing and facilities to promote learning. </p>
<h2>Why examinations matter</h2>
<p>There are compelling reasons not to do away with examinations. </p>
<p>First, examinations help identify, understand and address inequalities in access to education. As a <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/right-education">basic human right</a>, every child should be able to get a quality education. A persistently low performance in examinations can be an indicator of <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf#page=11">personal or social obstacles</a> like gender, geographical position, social class, race or ethnicity in a learner’s life. </p>
<p>Second, examinations help improve teaching and learning by strengthening teaching methods. A learner-centred approach has <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1143881.pdf#page=3">better outcomes</a> than a teacher-centred one, which tends to silence learners’ voices. Tests help indicate which students need additional help to support their learning. </p>
<p>Third, they are used as a <a href="https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/blog/four-reasons-why-we-need-credible-examinations-in-sub-saharan-africa">tool</a> for knowing what learners are learning and its relevance to the country’s development goals. Education is <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf#page=5">closely linked</a> to the political, social and economic development of a country. Examinations test the skills, knowledge and values that students pick up in the course of an education cycle, and how well the country can harness these skills and knowledge to industrialise and for general development. </p>
<p>Fourth, examinations provide guidance for learners’ personal and career development in the post-secondary world. This gives tertiary institutions the opportunity to select suitable students for various career pathways in their institutions. However, high school examination results are not necessarily a <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.200100198">predictor of student success</a> in tertiary education.</p>
<p>Fifth, examinations offer <a href="https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/careers-and-education/what-is-an-educational-certificate.html">qualifying certification</a> that accounts for a student’s time in a learning institution. This certification shows that one has successfully completed an education period. </p>
<h2>What needs to change</h2>
<p>But this system needs to be improved.</p>
<p>Firstly, the pressure needs to be taken off children sitting final examinations at school. Many candidates write examinations under immense pressure and anxiety as failing a national examination has major implications on the direction their life takes. For this to change, Kenya’s education system needs to be geared to <a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/news/gender/exams-must-never-be-allowed-to-define-our-children-s-worth-4456844">preparing students</a> to seize other opportunities of earning a livelihood beyond going to university. </p>
<p>Secondly, examinations have been given <a href="https://www.tuko.co.ke/kenya/counties/534280-kakamega-video-parents-chasing-school-principal-poor-kcse-results-angers-kenyans/">outsized importance as an accountability measure</a> in the education system, despite other factors being at play. These include adequate staffing, having trained and motivated teachers, and providing a good work environment and facilities. </p>
<p>Thirdly, the ranking of top schools and learners based on exam results needs to be abolished entirely. The government officially <a href="https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2014/11/kcse-student-school-exam-ranking-abolished/">stopped such rankings in 2014</a>, but the practice persists in other forms, like in <a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/news/education/kabarak-basks-in-national-glory-as-school-tops-exam--4486054">informal media rankings</a>.</p>
<p>Rankings promote elitism and corruption. Schools that are ranked “the best” are often those near urban centres, and have better teaching facilities than those in rural or marginalised areas. Parents who can afford it can <a href="https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2024/01/eacc-urges-parents-to-report-headteachers-soliciting-bribes-for-form-1-admission/">pay bribes</a> to get their children admitted into such schools, even if these students don’t meet the grades officially required. This crowds out poor and deserving learners.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/798140/pdf">dangers of ranking schools</a> include the exclusion of non-performing learners, forced repetition of classes and the transfer or dropping out of students perceived to be poor academically. Rankings narrow curriculum coverage, lead to the neglect of other aspects of education and encourage examination malpractices. </p>
<h2>Way forward</h2>
<p>Examinations are viewed negatively for a number of reasons. These include increased stress levels among learners, and human interference in the management and administration processes. But they still play a relevant role in providing a quantitative measure of a learner’s academic ability. This helps with identifying their strengths and weaknesses, which provides an idea of where to place them in tertiary institutions or in jobs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221230/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beatrice M’mboga Akala does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Examinations help a country measure if its system of education is teaching the skills and knowledge needed to meet development goals.Beatrice M’mboga Akala, Lecturer, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2195952023-12-13T19:03:37Z2023-12-13T19:03:37ZWe reviewed the arguments for and against ‘high-stakes’ exams. The evidence for using them doesn’t stack up<p>Across Australia, students are receiving and digesting important exam results. University students began receiving their semester 2 results at the end of November. This week and early next week, Year 12 students are also receiving their final marks.</p>
<p>Love them or loathe them, <a href="https://blogs.deakin.edu.au/cradle/1300-years-is-long-enough-its-pens-down-for-the-exam-hall/">exams have featured prominently</a> in education for <a href="https://languagetestingasia.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40468-022-00201-5">centuries</a>.</p>
<p>For almost as long, <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-do-away-with-exams-altogether-no-but-we-need-to-rethink-their-design-and-purpose-67647">debate has raged</a> about whether they are useful for assessing learning. And while there has been a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02602938.2014.919628">shift</a> towards course work or other forms of assessments in some contexts, exams are still a major part of the way we assess student learning. </p>
<p>To understand why exams remain so heavily favoured, we <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-023-01148-z">reviewed</a> the arguments for and against their use in higher education. We found surprisingly little hard evidence to justify their widespread use in university assessment.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-should-learn-from-assessment-methods-used-during-the-pandemic-and-cut-down-on-exams-for-good-143374">Universities should learn from assessment methods used during the pandemic – and cut down on exams for good</a>
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<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>We focussed on “high-stakes” final exams (heavily-weighted, end-of-semester exams that “make-or-break” passing a subject), because they are so widely used.</p>
<p>Traditionally undertaken in large exam halls under strict supervision, they can have immense influence on students’ lives and careers. </p>
<p>We searched the higher education literature for research showing benefits or drawbacks of high-stakes final examinations. We found 122 relevant papers, written in English and published before July 2023. </p>
<p>Across these papers, seven key themes emerged. </p>
<h2>1. Knowledge retention</h2>
<p>It has long been <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20150538">claimed</a> tests help students consolidate knowledge.</p>
<p>But because exams tend to encourage “cramming” of large amounts of information in a short period, the retention of that “knowledge” is famously short-lived. </p>
<p>Testing <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x">can enhance learning</a> when students need to remember a lot of facts. But research shows regular short-answer tests undertaken shortly after learning are far more effective for this than one big exam at the end of the learning process.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man reads a sheet of paper while sitting at a desk, with a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/564794/original/file-20231211-21-jmb7rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students who cram for an exam tend to forget their learning in the long term.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/student-with-notebook-doing-homework-7129712/">Michael Burrows/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>2. Motivation and learning</h2>
<p>High-stakes exams can certainly motivate students to study and prepare. But <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0969594032000121270">evidence suggests</a> exams tend not to help students’ learning because they activate “extrinsic motivation” (the desire to achieve a high grade) rather than “intrinsic motivation” (the desire for deep understanding). </p>
<p>This has a doubly perverse effect on learning: it encourages students to adopt superficial, “surface” learning strategies such as memorisation, while teachers often narrow the content they teach to what can be assessed in the exam.</p>
<h2>3. Real-world relevance</h2>
<p>Some <a href="https://theconversation.com/exams-might-be-stressful-but-they-improve-learning-35614">argue</a> the information-restricted, time-pressured nature of exams mirrors real-life (nobody wants their doctor or pilot to be leafing through the manual in a crisis situation).</p>
<p>But for the vast majority of modern roles and workplaces, closed-book individual examinations are a far cry from the collaborative, information-rich context in which students will work.</p>
<p>They’re particularly ill-suited to assessing skills like listening and communication, which are <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/01/17/survey-employers-want-soft-skills-graduates">highly valued by employers</a>. And because there is typically no opportunity to receive or respond to feedback on an exam, it’s hard for students to learn from their mistakes and do better.</p>
<h2>4. Validity and reliability</h2>
<p>One might assume because high-stakes exams are so important for final grades, they are carefully validated and reliably measure a student’s ability.</p>
<p>Regrettably, neither is true. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2333-8504.1990.tb01343.x">Validation</a> of the design of high-stakes examinations (a complex process that ensures we can trust the inferences we make from them) is neither required nor routinely undertaken in university courses. </p>
<p>Exam performance is also notoriously <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03075070220000662">unreliable</a>, susceptible to bias and inconsistency from examiners, the psychological or physical health of the student, the design of the exam and even the conditions under which the exam is taken.</p>
<h2>5. Contract cheating and assessment security</h2>
<p>There’s a widespread belief that because exams occur in tightly controlled environments and require ID, they’re impervious to cheating. This belief is spurring calls for even greater use of traditional exams in the wake of anxiety about generative AI. </p>
<p>But surveys of tens of thousands of university students in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1462788">Australia</a> and <a href="https://ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/article/download/14/9">overseas</a> reveal students cheat more often in examinations than they do in any other form of assessment, using strategies such as <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/pens-for-hire-how-students-cheat-and-how-they-get-away-with-it/5v3erlpij">impersonation</a>. </p>
<p>As the authors of a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2018.1527892">2018 Australian report</a> conclude: “examinations provide universities and accrediting bodies with a false sense of security” and </p>
<blockquote>
<p>an over reliance on examinations, without a thorough and comprehensive approach to integrity, is likely to lead to more cheating, not less.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>6. Anxiety and wellbeing</h2>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08037051.2019.1710108">shows</a> students find exams stressful and this can harm their health and wellbeing. But whether stress affects exam performance is less clear. </p>
<p>Some studies have found <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717303683?via%3Dihub">negative effects of stress on performance</a>, while others found <a href="https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/medu.14460">no effect</a> or even suggest stress is <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-calm-down-exam-stress-may-not-be-fun-but-it-can-help-you-get-better-marks-124517">helpful for improving performance</a>. </p>
<p>Although the jury is still out, the adverse effects of examinations on student mental and physical health is concerning, as is the negative impact of examination anxiety on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11092-020-09326-8">student motivation</a>.</p>
<h2>7. Fairness and equity</h2>
<p>It’s well known exams favour students who perform well under <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167487015001440?via%3Dihub">time pressure</a> and are good at memorising. But there is also growing evidence the exams may <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186419">promote gender inequality</a> (with women performing worse than men in exams but better in non-exam assessments).</p>
<p>Another way in which exams can contribute to inequity is through their content (which often promotes Western values and knowledge) and their (often hand-) written format. This disadvantages minority students, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.679972">Indigenous</a> students, those from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds, or those who have a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13562517.2021.2021395">disability</a>. </p>
<p>Common “Band-Aid” accommodations, such as allowing extra time, do little to address this problem and contribute to feelings of inadequacy. We need to draw on what is known about <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2022.2057451">inclusive assessment design</a> to ensure diverse students are given equal opportunity to succeed.</p>
<h2>Where to from here?</h2>
<p>In the absence of compelling educational reasons for using high-stakes final exams, it seems they are used because they are cheap and efficient to deliver and grade, as well as easily scalable to large numbers of students. </p>
<p>These justifications seem inadequate when we know there are alternative and more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14703297.2018.1564882">authentic</a> forms of assessment that are also cost-effective, with the aid of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08993408.2012.728041">educational technology</a>. These include <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/australian-curriculum/national-stem-education-resources-toolkit/i-want-know-about-stem-education/what-works-best-when-teaching-stem/inquiry-based-learning">inquiry</a> (using investigation and problem-solving), group or peer-based assessments. </p>
<p>Without compelling academic reasons for retaining them, we need to consider new and potentially more meaningful forms of assessment by <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/4448415/High-Stakes-Examinations-Dec-2023_FINAL.pdf">replacing, re-weighting or redesigning</a> high-stakes exams.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-change-the-way-universities-assess-students-starting-with-these-3-things-203048">We need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219595/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Major examinations have been a part of education for centuries. New research looks at arguments for and against end-of-semester exams in universities.Raoul Mulder, Professor of Higher Education, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of MelbourneSarah French, Senior lecturer, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2178172023-11-23T15:00:08Z2023-11-23T15:00:08ZEthiopia’s education system is in crisis – now’s the time to fix it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560341/original/file-20231120-19-nuyhmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The COVID pandemic set pupils back, but the problems in Ethiopia's education system have deep roots.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In October 2023, Ethiopia’s minister of education, Berhanu Nega, <a href="https://youtu.be/9PYrlOHTiv4?si=bWDGFE3jgimp_L7H">disclosed</a> several shocking figures on the outcomes of the 12th-grade national examination. Of the 3,106 schools that administered the 12th grade (secondary school leaving) examination for the 2022/23 academic year, 43% reported that none of their students had passed. </p>
<p>And, for the second consecutive year, more than 96% of students who participated in the national school leaving examination scored less than the mark (an average of 50%) required to pass. This means that hundreds of thousands of students could not qualify for university education. </p>
<p>For comparison, more than 1.6 million <a href="https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/08/08/waec-records-80-pass-in-maths-english-language">Nigerian</a> secondary school students took the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in 2023. Approximately 80% (1.3 million) of them attained a passing grade or higher.</p>
<p>A robust education system is not merely about exam results. But these figures underscore the sad fact that Ethiopia’s secondary education sector is in crisis. This has been building for many years. In 2015/16, 49% of students scored 50% or more for the <a href="https://moe.gov.et/EduStat">grade 12 examination</a>. The following year the proportion dropped to 41%. A lack of consistent national data on examination results makes it challenging to fully illustrate the trend. </p>
<p>Ethiopia, like other nations in the region and globally, has grappled with learning setbacks resulting from <a href="https://riseprogramme.org/publications/learning-losses-during-covid-19-pandemic-ethiopia-comparing-student-achievement-early">the COVID lockdowns</a>. This, combined with <a href="https://theconversation.com/ethiopia-tigray-war-parties-agree-pause-expert-insights-into-two-years-of-devastating-conflict-193636">ongoing internal conflict</a> since 2020, likely contributed to the most recent national exam scores.</p>
<p>However, the crisis has deep roots. As <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-10-7933-7">policy</a> experts, <a href="https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/tiruneh/">researchers</a> and longtime observers of the Ethiopian education system, we believe the shockingly poor exam results indicate underlying structural issues that extend far beyond the realm of individual student performance. They are also a perfect opportunity for all stakeholders – particularly the government – to tackle the structural problems holding the system back. Now is the time to embark on swift reform with commitment and vision.</p>
<h2>Roots of the problem</h2>
<p>The seeds of the secondary education crisis are planted early. Hundreds of thousands of children in Ethiopia continue to complete primary school without grasping the fundamentals of <a href="https://riseprogramme.org/sites/default/files/2021-05/Understanding_Achievement_Numeracy_Among_Primary_School_Children_Ethiopia.pdf">literacy and numeracy</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-has-dealt-a-blow-to-ethiopias-private-higher-education-institutions-153398">COVID-19 has dealt a blow to Ethiopia's private higher education institutions</a>
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<p>This learning crisis stems partly from poor school infrastructure. Inadequate allocation of school resources following the massification of the education system is another problem. The rapid expansion of primary education seen in the past decade has considerably increased the proportion of students (and especially girls) from relatively <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2020.1741343">disadvantaged backgrounds</a>. That includes children from regions with historically low access to education, such as Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Somali.</p>
<p>This impressive achievement in the expansion of primary education has substantially increased the demand for secondary education. The secondary gross enrolment ratio has doubled over the <a href="https://moe.gov.et/storage/Books/ESAA%202014%20EC%20(2021-22%20G.C)%20Final.pdf">past decade</a>, from 23% in 2011/12 to 46% in 2021/22. Although much progress has been made in terms of <a href="https://riseprogramme.org/publications/disadvantaged-schools-and-students-ethiopia-why-geqip-e-reform-necessary">resource allocation</a>, the education system still struggles with inadequate infrastructure and resources to match the rapid enrolment. </p>
<p>In addition, teachers were not properly trained to manage the significant change in student demographics. Preservice teacher training curricula and approaches to teaching need to be <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/bdje/article/view/249011">overhauled</a> in view of the transformation of the Ethiopian education system from elite to mass education. Further, as the country’s <a href="https://moe.gov.et/PoliciesStrategies">new education policy</a> acknowledges, there has been a disconnect between student learning experiences and the country’s broader societal goals. </p>
<p>But any changes to curricula and teaching methods must be done thoughtfully, in consultation with all stakeholders. Abrupt policy changes create confusion and disruption. For example, following recent <a href="https://moe.gov.et/PoliciesStrategies">policy changes</a>, the government ditched the grade 10 national examination. This was initially set up to select students who would qualify for a two-year secondary education to prepare them for university education. In the absence of a viable mechanism to identify early academically underprepared students, it becomes impossible to provide targeted support in preparation for the national examination.</p>
<p>Challenges like under-resourced schools, unprepared teachers, outdated curricula, and political instability not only impede student learning. They also erode the nation’s human capital. A stark illustration is Ethiopia’s decline in the global human development ranking, from surpassing 22 countries <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-1992">in 1992</a>, to outperforming only 16 after <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2021-22">three decades</a>. </p>
<p>To harness Ethiopia’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/ethiopia-can-convert-its-youth-bulge-from-a-political-problem-into-an-opportunity-75312">burgeoning youth population</a>, the school sector requires urgent attention. Secondary education, beyond university qualification, is crucial for <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/df1be5f5-e5f8-584b-9a3f-fa8ebdfc4870/content">equipping young people</a> with knowledge and skills required for a productive workforce.</p>
<h2>Don’t waste a crisis</h2>
<p>There has been widespread <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20231018103529310">public fury</a> about the recent national exam results. But these <a href="https://addisstandard.com/in-depth-is-ethiopias-education-system-under-a-serious-threat/">outcries</a> come and go. The current crisis should not be a wasted opportunity. All stakeholders must seize the opportunity and deliberate on structural and systemic forces that underlie the mass failure in the 12th-grade examination. </p>
<p>As one of us has argued <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-022-00899-5#:%7E:text=When%20education%20systems%20are%20seen,be%20realised%20through%20the%20policy.">elsewhere</a>, crisis makes swift reform possible – if key stakeholders seize the moment with commitment and vision. </p>
<p>Vietnam offers a useful example. Years of war and political upheaval pushed the nation to the brink of collapse. The <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-93951-9_5">Vietnamese education</a> system grappled with a range of issues. These included a theory-heavy curriculum, outdated teaching and assessment methods, inadequate teacher quality, and high inequality. Then, a decade ago, Vietnam underwent a comprehensive reform of its education system. This has led to <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-93951-9_5">positive transformation</a> in both its economy and society.</p>
<p>The Ethiopian government and other stakeholders should not waste a crisis. Now is the time to act, with a sense of urgency and purpose.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217817/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The shockingly poor exam results indicate underlying structural issues that extend far beyond the realm of individual student performance.Tebeje Molla, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Deakin UniversityDawit Tibebu Tiruneh, Research Associate, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2139962023-10-01T19:16:20Z2023-10-01T19:16:20ZAvoid cramming and don’t just highlight bits of text: how to help your memory when preparing for exams<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550776/original/file-20230928-15-m58d1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C23%2C5168%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/library-high-angle-photro-159775/">Pixabay/Pexels</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With school and university exams looming, students will be thinking about how they can maximise their learning.</p>
<p>Memory is a key part of how we learn.</p>
<p>If students understand how memory works, they can prioritise effective study habits. This will help for exams as well as their learning in the longer term. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-can-we-concentrate-on-study-without-getting-distracted-146572">Curious Kids: how can we concentrate on study without getting distracted?</a>
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<h2>What is memory?</h2>
<p>According to cognitive psychology (the study of our mental processes), there are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0079742108604223?via%3Dihub">three</a> distinct types of memory. Each plays a different role in effective study:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>sensory memory</strong> temporarily holds vast amounts of new information <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/sensory-memory">from our senses</a>. This includes everything we have just seen, heard, touched or tasted. If we pay attention to that information, it moves into working memory for processing. If we don’t pay attention, it is discarded. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>working memory</strong> is our brain’s control centre. All conscious <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123943934000066">cognitive activity</a>, including remembering, calculating, planning, problem-solving, decision-making and critical thinking happens in our working memory. However, if we have too much on our minds, working memory can easily become <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864034/">overloaded</a>. This makes it important to offload knowledge and skills to long-term memory. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>long-term memory</strong> is our brain’s library. When new knowledge or skills are well practised, they are “encoded” from working memory and into <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/long-term-memory">long-term memory</a>. Here they are stored in vast networks called schemas. To use those knowledge and skills again, we retrieve those schemas back into working memory. The more we encode and retrieve knowledge and skills, the stronger those memory pathways become. Well-learned schemas can be retrieved automatically, which creates space in working memory for new thinking and learning. </p></li>
</ol>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1706139868416356588"}"></div></p>
<h2>How to help your memory when preparing for exams</h2>
<p>Not everyone likes exams and educators <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-do-away-with-exams-altogether-no-but-we-need-to-rethink-their-design-and-purpose-67647">often debate</a> their advantages and disadvantages. </p>
<p>But if you are a student who is studying for exams right now, here are some tips to help you use your time well: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>create the conditions for attention</strong>: put your phone away and remove distractions. Remember, <a href="https://journalofcognition.org/articles/10.5334/joc.58">your attention is needed</a> to bring information into working memory and keep it there. Loss of attention, or mind wandering, can result in poorer learning. Harvard professor of psychology Dan Schachter calls absent-mindedness one of the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8285452/">seven sins of memory</a>”. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>consider your subject area</strong>: different disciplines ask different kinds of questions and you should study with these in mind. In a Year 12 English exam, for example, you might be asked to write a response about your interpretation of a particular text. So don’t just re-read the text; effective study involves drawing out themes and insights, practising your arguments and seeking feedback. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>minimise “shallow” study</strong>: most students report <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1529100612453266">re-reading and highlighting</a> text when studying. But these are less effective than other study techniques. Shallow study or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002253717280001X?via%3Dihub">encoding</a> focuses more on surface features and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fergus-Craik-2/publication/11066090_Levels_of_processing_Past_present_and_future/links/0a85e5374cd5c4aebb000000/Levels-of-processing-Past-present-and-future.pdf">less on meaning</a>. This encourages rote recall over genuine understanding and leads to poorer learning. In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X08000477?via%3Dihub">one study</a>, re-reading a textbook twice in a row offered no advantage over reading it for the first time. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A textbook with sticky notes and a highlighted passage." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550811/original/file-20230928-23-9i311a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Just highlighting bits of text is unlikely to lead to deep understanding of a topic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-photo-of-books-327882/">Lum3n/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>maximise “deep” study</strong>: this involves actively using the information you are studying. Depending on your discipline, this might include <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0019902">answering practice questions</a>, constructing your own questions, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0361476X79900699?via%3Dihub">summarising</a>, identifying themes, evaluating existing arguments, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tea.3660250103">making decisions</a>, or explaining concepts to others. This deep encoding results in stronger schematic networks, which are more easily reactivated when you need them. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>move beyond worked examples</strong>: worked examples are step-by-step illustrations of the processes to solve a problem. They can be <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_20">powerful starting points</a> because they show you how to use a particular strategy. They also help to reduce working memory load. But as you <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225767816_Expertise_Reversal_Effect_and_Its_Implications_for_Learner-Tailored_Instruction">become more expert</a>, it is more effective to draw those strategies from long-term memory yourself.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>take breaks</strong>: research with Australian <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371689526_Rest_breaks_aid_directed_attention_and_learning">university students</a> shows even a five-minute rest break can support attention – the gateway to learning. Research <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691612447308">using brain scans</a> also shows rest can help you consolidate memories. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>don’t cram</strong>: the so-called “spacing effect” shows memory and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-010-9366-y">conceptual understanding </a> both benefit from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010028510000332?via%3Dihub">distributed</a> rather than massed learning. This means six half-hour sessions are better for learning than one three hour block. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman naps with a dog. Spectacles are folded on a book." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550812/original/file-20230928-19-ijedgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Make sure you take breaks and get sleep.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/planner-and-eyeglasses-placed-on-table-near-anonymous-woman-and-dog-sleeping-on-sofa-6588937/">Meruyert Gonullu/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>mix up your study</strong>: this could mean <a href="https://www.retrievalpractice.org/interleaving">varying</a> questions and activities, so your brain is forced to compare, contrast, refine, and draw distinctions between concepts and approaches. This is known as “<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-interleaving-effect-mixing-it-up-boosts-learning/">interleaving</a>”, and has been shown to boost learning in subjects such as maths, music and medicine. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>don’t skip sleep</strong>: sleep is crucial for the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23589831/">consolidation</a> of memory or <a href="https://www.bostonneuropsa.net/PDF%20Files/Stickgold/Nature_review_2005.pdf">solidifying</a> new connections or insights you have made. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>give yourself enough time</strong>: unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here! Each time you <a href="https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10648-021-09595-9?sharing_token=BJGF9HIhylvkFTp44loJ1fe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY68gwFdG3aL3p8m-poI08AnooDPXDRsIbGbAcSfq37HR20RLLZlZUjmOElg_wpKZL36zS0i5zcLfJ5UXBlFREIOi0tNigRAfr47nlSb4RA4e37qH_hZV4z4RSb4Ky31i40=">practise</a> drawing specific knowledge and skills from long-term memory into working memory, you are etching a memory super-highway. The <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2005-13307-006">more you do this</a>, the better and quicker you become – which is what you will need come exam time. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/preparing-for-exam-season-10-practical-insights-from-psychology-to-help-teens-get-through-189439">Preparing for exam season: 10 practical insights from psychology to help teens get through</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213996/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Penny Van Bergen receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Association for Psychological Science, and the NSW Department of Education. </span></em></p>According to cognitive psychology there are three distinct types of memory. Each plays a different role in effective study.Penny Van Bergen, Head of School of Education and Professor of Educational Psychology, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2139822023-09-24T20:02:03Z2023-09-24T20:02:03ZHow to manage exam season: don’t forget to take regular breaks and breathe<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549261/original/file-20230920-21-nb1q6o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=57%2C57%2C4192%2C2752&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-closing-her-eyes-against-sun-light-standing-near-purple-petaled-flower-plant-321576/">Oleksandr P/Pexels </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Around Australia, Year 12 students are heading into the final stretch of study before exams start in early term 4. This is typically seen as a very intense period of preparation. But, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20590776.2023.2225700">as our research shows</a>, it is also important to rest during this time if you want to maximise your performance. </p>
<p>Intuitively, we understand breaks are important. We can take rest breaks across different times in our lives. They include <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/02/research-the-transformative-power-of-sabbaticals">sabbaticals</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/study-links-a-gap-year-to-better-university-grades-18275">gap years</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-holiday-is-good-for-you-even-before-you-take-time-off-209406">holidays</a>, weekends and nightly <a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-time-is-contributing-to-chronic-sleep-deprivation-in-tweens-and-teens-a-pediatric-sleep-expert-explains-how-critical-sleep-is-to-kids-mental-health-204436">sleep</a>. </p>
<p>But rest breaks can be beneficial on even shorter time frames, during study sessions and even during exams themselves. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/self-compassion-is-the-superpower-year-12-students-need-for-exams-and-life-beyond-school-192086">Self-compassion is the superpower year 12 students need for exams ... and life beyond school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Firstly, try and get some sleep</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="An alarm clock on a shelf." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549258/original/file-20230920-19-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Use an old-school alarm clock, so you are not tempted to mindlessly scroll through TikTok before sleep.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-teal-digital-clock-2397363/">Oladimeji Ajegbile/ Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Students may be tempted to stay up late, trying to cram for an exam the following day. The big risk here is that lack of sleep can do more harm than good. </p>
<p>Sleep plays an important role in a range of brain functions, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12683469/">maintaining attention</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768102/">consolidating memories</a>. So getting a poor night of sleep before an exam may mean the topics you’ve tried to cram aren’t well-formed in your long-term memory. Even if they were, the brain fog from lack of sleep means you may not recall what you’ve learned under the pressure of exam conditions. </p>
<p>In the lead-up to your exams, here are some specific things to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>try and keep all screens out of the bedroom:</strong> people often struggle with sleep because they’re tempted to check their phone at bedtime.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>screens also emit <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/blue-light">blue light</a>:</strong> this can interfere with your body’s circadian rhythms. Blue light during the day enhances attention, but too much of it in the evening can interfere with sleep quality. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>so don’t use a smartphone as an alarm:</strong> get an old-fashioned alarm clock instead. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>For more information about sleep, the Sleep Health Foundation has <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/quick-facts-and-faq-about-sleep-for-high-school-students.html">specific advice</a> for high school students. </p>
<h2>You need study breaks</h2>
<p>When we study, we’re using our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207727/">working memory</a> (processing of small amounts of information, needed for things like comprehension and problem-solving). This builds our understanding of a topic. We then want to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657600/">encode that understanding into long-term memory</a> for use later, such as in an exam. </p>
<p>Without breaks, over time, these working memory resources become depleted and we notice it’s harder and harder to concentrate. </p>
<p>In our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20590776.2023.2225700">2023 study</a>, we found that a short (five minute) break following a period of difficult cognitive work (solving mental arithmetic problems) made a substantial difference to how much students learned during a lesson on a mental mathematics strategy. </p>
<p>Students who took a “do nothing” break performed 40% better than the no-break students on a subsequent test. Students who watched a first-person perspective video of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHZ3rV6TzMs">a walk in an Australian rainforest</a> for five minutes also performed better (57%) than the no-break students. </p>
<p>This suggests building in short rest breaks during study can help you learn. </p>
<h2>How do you build in breaks?</h2>
<p>Here are some specific strategies to help you get the rests you need: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>when you plan your <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/stay-healthy-hsc/resources/hsc-exam-tips-for-the-lead-up-to-exams#Tip0">study schedule</a> build in short breaks:</strong> drawing on the <a href="https://francescocirillo.com/products/the-pomodoro-technique">Pomodoro</a> time management technique, we recommend using a timer (but not one on a smartphone). Aim to take a five-minute break after 25 minutes of study. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>again, don’t use a smartphone:</strong> many of the features of a phone are purpose-built to <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Stolen_Focus/3L1UEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">capture and keep your attention</a>, which you need for studying! These short breaks could take many forms: getting a cup of tea, playing with a pet, getting some sun outside, doing some star jumps to wake yourself up, or some breathing exercises (I explain these below). </p></li>
<li><p><strong>longer breaks are important too:</strong> following the Pomodoro technique, aim to take a longer break (15-30 minutes) after four rounds of 25 minutes study/five minutes rest. Use at least some of these longer breaks for your physical and mental health away from your desk (and screens) – such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/exercise-the-body-build-the-brain-3294">exercise</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-all-in-your-mind-how-meditation-affects-the-brain-to-help-you-stress-less-97777">meditation</a>, or a <a href="https://theconversation.com/short-naps-can-improve-memory-increase-productivity-reduce-stress-and-promote-a-healthier-heart-210449">20-30-minute nap</a>. </p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young woman holds a cup." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549257/original/file-20230920-21-y20eo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Have regular breaks as part of your study timetable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/HycIct9V-DM">Anh Nguyễn/ Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Also take breaks during exams</h2>
<p>It’s reasonable to think we should be using every minute of an exam for answering questions. But just as rest breaks during study can help restore attention, breaks during exams themselves may also be helpful. </p>
<p>Breaks are a common part of exams for students with <a href="https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/disability-provisions/provisions/rest-breaks">disability provisions</a>, but with some planning, all students might benefit from breaks.</p>
<p>A common strategy you can use to prepare for Year 12 exams is to complete past exam papers. When you do this, use the same “short break” study strategy described above. When it seems like a good break point (for example, in between finishing one section of the paper and starting another), stop for a few minutes and practise taking a short break. </p>
<p>Under exam conditions, you’re more limited in what type of break you can take. But simple controlled breathing routines such as “<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321805">box breathing</a>” or the “<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417">4-7-8 method</a>” can help you refocus. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tEmt1Znux58?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Box breathing.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These routines can also activate the “<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/using-the-relaxation-response-to-reduce-stress-20101110780">relaxation response</a>” – the opposite of the “flight-or-flight” response we experience under stressful conditions (including exams). </p>
<p>An even shorter form of breathwork to reduce stress in the moment is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdhqBGqiMc">physiological sigh</a> – two inhales, followed by an exhale. </p>
<p>When it comes to the actual exam, you’ll be using the reading time to plan how you’ll complete the various sections. Take this time to also think carefully about when you’ll take some short breaks. When the exam begins, you might even write “take a two-minute break now” at suitable points in the exam booklet. </p>
<p>There is so much to think about in the lead-up to and during exams. If you schedule in and practise taking breaks, you will get better at doing it and give yourself and your brain a really important rest. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-beat-exam-stress-106065">How to beat exam stress</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213982/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Ginns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Final school exams are typically seen as a very intense period of preparation. But it is also important to rest during this time if you want to maximise your performance.Paul Ginns, Associate Professor in Educational Psychology, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2117082023-08-17T13:23:26Z2023-08-17T13:23:26ZExam results 2023: how to make sense of ‘grade deflation’ as A grades fall<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543216/original/file-20230817-6131-owgl35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4992%2C3315&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/college-acceptance-rates-next-steps-after-2301581475">Iryna Imago/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Students across England are receiving <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/17/a-level-results-in-england-show-biggest-drop-on-record">lower grades</a> than they might have done in 2022. The percentage of A or A* grades given for A-levels has fallen from 35.9% to 26.5% in 2023. Pupils’ grades are closer to those from before the pandemic, when 25.2% of results were at A or A*. </p>
<p>In 2021, 88.2% of all grades were a C or above; in 2022, this figure was 82.1%. In 2023, it’s down to 75.4% – slightly lower than 2019, when 75.5% of grades were at C or above. </p>
<p>These lower outcomes are the result of the government’s action to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guide-to-as-and-a-level-results-for-england-summer-2023">reverse the grade inflation</a> of 2020 and 2021 – a consequence of assessment changes during the pandemic. </p>
<p>Pupils who would have sat their exams in 2020 and 2021 were instead awarded grades based on teacher assessments. These were very much higher than in previous years, and appear be inflated above what would have been achieved had they sat regular examinations.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1692099024260608083"}"></div></p>
<p>Put simply, grade inflation means awarding students higher grades than they deserve – where their just deserts might be determined on the basis of their achievements prior to the final examinations and their recent efforts on the course. </p>
<p>But it’s tricky to pin down exactly what each student deserves, especially when their learning is disrupted by something like a global pandemic. On the other hand, then, deflation appears to be giving pupils less than they deserve – which is surely undesirable.</p>
<h2>Bringing results down</h2>
<p>As school assessment returned to normal after the pandemic, the government, through its exams agency <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual">Ofqual</a>, resolved to bring results in England back to where they were before. In 2022 grades were adjusted to a <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/2022-exams-plan-students-to-get-higher-than-normal-grades-before-return-to-normal-in-2023/">2019-2021 midpoint</a>, and this year <a href="https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/10/exam-results-2023-10-things-to-know-about-gcse-as-and-a-level-grades/">back to 2019 standards</a>. This means that the higher grades will have been more difficult to achieve. </p>
<p>Devolved governments in Wales and Northern Ireland are bringing grades back to pre-pandemic levels more gradually. </p>
<p>To understand how this is being done, we need to look at how grades are awarded. A-level and GCSE grading practice falls somewhere between <a href="https://www.renaissance.com/2018/07/11/blog-criterion-referenced-tests-norm-referenced-tests/">two standard ways</a> of awarding grades: criterion-referenced and norm-referenced. </p>
<p>A criterion-referenced system means that pupils are given credit for what they can demonstrate they have learned or understood on the syllabus. So, for example, getting 18 out of 20 on a test would automatically be an A grade, no matter what anyone else sitting the test scores. Driving tests are a good example of criterion-referenced examinations.</p>
<p>In contrast, norm-referenced grading (at its simplest) assigns grades according to where a candidate’s results sit when compared to the rest of their cohort. The top 10% may get an A, the next 20% a B and so on. It would mean that every year, the same proportion of pupils would get a top grade, and the same proportion would fail.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Exam hall students writing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543219/original/file-20230817-21-yjhnp7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Examination results in England are being adjusted back to 2019 standards.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/university-students-do-quiz-test-studies-1523432387">AimPix/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The reality of the current A-level and GCSE system is that it is neither of these, but a mix of the two.</p>
<h2>Setting grades</h2>
<p>Grade boundaries are finally set only after pupils have sat their examinations and most of the work has been marked. The grade boundaries are informed by the national curriculum, the examination boards’ specifications – and the lead examiners’ detailed subject knowledge. </p>
<p>They will know that a typical grade B geography student, for example, will be able to explain particular concepts with a certain degree of competence. This is the criterion-referenced part of the system. Across the whole geography syllabus – or any syllabus – there are many criteria, so a kind of best fit averaging approach has to be applied by the examiners. </p>
<p>Then, all of the results nationally are considered and possibly adjusted, so they match the proportion of grades awarded at each level for a predetermined standard – in this case, the 2019 results. This is the norm-referenced part, and how Ofqual could be sure, ahead of the publication of results, that they would be roughly in line with 2019 figures. </p>
<p>Ofqual also stated that they have put <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guide-to-as-and-a-level-results-for-england-summer-2023">“protection” in place</a>, so that students will get the grades they would have had before the pandemic even if their performance is a little weaker. In other words, the grade boundary adjustment makes up for any knowledge missing because of the pandemic.</p>
<p>But it remains to be seen which young people will be most affected by the reduction in grades. For a long time there have been significant achievement gaps between <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/16/no-improvement-in-school-attainment-gap-in-england-for-20-years-report-says">disadvantaged children</a> and their more affluent peers. The likelihood is that these gaps will widen in 2023, as disadvantaged children have suffered <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/almost-2-in-5-poorer-pupils-were-persistently-absent-last-year/#:%7E:text=Pupil%20absence%20statistics%20for%202021,disadvantaged%20pupils%20were%20persistently%20absent">more absences from school</a> since the pandemic. Such differences won’t show until the full release of data in the autumn.</p>
<p>What is clear is that the 2023 results – in line with 2019’s grade distributions – will certainly leave more pupils disappointed than in the previous two years when results were inflated above normal expectations.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211708/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rolph does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The government is reversing pandemic “grade inflation” in England.Chris Rolph, Director, Nottingham Institute of Education, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2030482023-04-16T20:04:06Z2023-04-16T20:04:06ZWe need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520471/original/file-20230412-26-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C8%2C5955%2C3925&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This article is part of our series on <a href="https://theconversation.com/introducing-our-new-series-on-the-future-of-australian-higher-education-203760">big ideas for the Universities Accord</a>. The federal government is calling ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and a final report in December 2023.</em></p>
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<p>Compulsory tests, essays, regular grades and timed exams are considered a given in university life. But the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-universities-accord-will-plan-for-the-next-30-years-what-big-issues-must-it-address-200367">Universities Accord</a> should change this.</p>
<p>Rigid, traditional assessments need to make way for a more flexible, personalised way of working out what students know and can do. The current system is not only vulnerable to cheating, it also disadvantages those with disability and doesn’t give students the feedback they need.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/introducing-our-new-series-on-the-future-of-australian-higher-education-203760">Introducing our new series on the future of Australian higher education</a>
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<h2>Students with disability need a different approach</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003293101/assessment-inclusion-higher-education-rola-ajjawi-joanna-tai-david-boud-trina-jorre-de-st-jorre">Our research</a> shows university students with a disability are disadvantaged by current assessment formats. It shows adjustments – which are <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/employers/disability-discrimination">legally required for those with disabilities</a> – don’t always adequately compensate students.</p>
<p>For example, a common adjustment <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2022.2077910">such as extra time</a> for an essay or exam may not be suitable for students with a disability, whose outputs can be affected regardless of time. </p>
<p>Students in our research also reported that accessible spaces and equipment – such as an ergonomic chair – were not reliably available during exams. Even in online exams, text-to-speech software and other assistive technologies are not necessarily compatible with all course materials or assignment file formats.</p>
<p>Just over 7% of university students <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/2020-section-11-equity-groups">reported a disability when they enrolled</a> in 2020. This is far less than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/2018">17.7% in the general population </a>, which suggests there may be a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-017-0242-y">hidden population</a> of students with disabilities who could be better supported, or even that prospective students with a disability are discouraged from enrolling at all.</p>
<p>Research has shown students are hesitant to get an adjustment due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2022.2082373">fear of stigmatisation</a>, and experience anxiety or shame over requests for extra assistance to demonstrate their learning.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A student working with papers and open books at a desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520472/original/file-20230412-28-9sjlh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Extra time on assignments won’t help all students with a disability.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cottonbro Studio/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>AI has radically changed the playing field</h2>
<p>At the same time, the rise of generative artificial intelligence tools <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-chatgpt-chatbot-is-blowing-people-away-with-its-writing-skills-an-expert-explains-why-its-so-impressive-195908">such as ChatGPT</a> has shown universities need to rethink assessments so as to protect academic integrity. </p>
<p>We know ChatGPT can write material that is <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/26/tech/chatgpt-passes-exams/index.html">good enough to pass exams</a>. So essays and take-home assignments that simply ask students to provide chunks of information will no longer work. </p>
<p>Assessments will need to evaluate more sophisticated capabilities, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-uni-goes-back-heres-how-teachers-and-students-can-use-chatgpt-to-save-time-and-improve-learning-199884">critical thinking</a>, to prevent cheating and demonstrate students’ learning. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-the-push-higher-education-needs-to-rethink-assessment-200314">ChatGPT is the push higher education needs to rethink assessment</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We also need to do better with feedback</h2>
<p>Feedback is an <a href="https://feedbackforlearning.org/">incredibly important part of learning</a> but current assessment approaches obscure helpful feedback to students.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A young man works with papers at a desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520473/original/file-20230412-14-mb4m9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">caption.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Feedback should happen throughout courses, not just with essays and exams. </span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To have the best impact on learning, feedback should not happen at the same time as students get their <a href="https://theconversation.com/grading-students-may-be-as-easy-as-abc-but-evidence-shows-better-ways-to-improve-learning-179650">marks or final grade</a>. </p>
<p>Instead, it should happen when students need it most: during the semester, so they can use it in subsequent tasks. Comments might be verbal, written or in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13562517.2018.1471457">multimedia formats</a>, and come from lecturers, tutors, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2018.1545896">peers</a> or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703297.2021.2013289">even industry</a>.</p>
<p>Many students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">fail a unit or exam at some point</a> in their academic career. The coupling of assessment and feedback frequently means <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03075079.2020.1779687">important messages are ignored or lost</a>. </p>
<p>Survey <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-are-failing-their-students-through-poor-feedback-practices-86756">research</a> also shows about 15% of students are dissatisfied with the feedback they get, and this rises if students have a disability or are an international student.</p>
<h2>How to improve assessment</h2>
<p>There is a lot that could be done to improve assessment. But here are three significant changes we should focus on immediately:</p>
<p><strong>1. We need to replace regular marks with regular feedback</strong></p>
<p>Rather than final grades for every unit, students should receive regular comments about improving their work. </p>
<p>Then, at the end of their degree, selected assessments or a final project can be used to demonstrate a student’s learning. </p>
<p>Students might also be encouraged to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14703297.2023.2192513">portray their achievements</a> in more contextual and personal ways. They might be able to choose between blog entries or multimedia. Or they might put together a “persuasive portfolio”, which enables students to construct their own evidence of how they are progressing towards course learning outcomes.</p>
<p>Targeting feedback to students’ specific goals is also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2021.1894115">highly motivating and leads to improved performance</a>.</p>
<p>This will mean society - including employers - can be more confident that graduates have developed relevant high-level capabilities, rather than immediately forgetting the contents of an exam once it’s over. </p>
<p>This approach is also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2022.2057451">more inclusive</a>. When individual tasks are considered separately, some formats might advantage particular students. But considering a range of tasks allows students to demonstrate their learning in a way that suits them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teacher speaks with students in a classroom." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520688/original/file-20230413-16-pa5af.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Giving students personal feedback throughout their studies can help keep them engaged.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Students should have choice in assessment</strong></p>
<p>Assessment <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2019.1689385">should promote individuality</a>. It should provide choices for students to demonstrate their achievements, to ensure they meet their goals for their future lives.</p>
<p>For example, students studying public health might choose to develop a policy briefing or community education resources on a topic of their choice: both options can demonstrate understanding of a health issue and relevant communication techniques.</p>
<p>Impersonal, <a href="https://theconversation.com/assessment-design-wont-stop-cheating-but-our-relationships-with-students-might-76394">cookie-cutter assessments</a> – such as a take-home exam or essay – are vulnerable to cheating. They also won’t teach students how to respond flexibly to evolving work environments. </p>
<p>Offering choice in assessment can also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13562517.2020.1742680">reduce anxiety and improve confidence</a> in study as students are doing tasks that are more meaningful to them.</p>
<p><strong>3. All assessment should be inclusive</strong></p>
<p>All assessments need to be designed in ways to <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003293101">minimise additional challenges</a> for students with disabilities or learning differences. Universal assessment design is <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003293101-15/opportunities-limitations-accommodations-accessibility-higher-education-assessment-christopher-johnstone-leanne-ketterlin-geller-martha-thurlow?context=ubx&refId=18a93938-2930-4d1b-8551-56835f75a734">one approach</a> universities can use here. </p>
<p>This means ensuring instructions, resources, and submissions take multiple formats (for example, text and audiovisual). </p>
<p>We found even small changes, such as allowing students to take notes and read instructions out aloud in reading time, <a href="https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/exams-assessment-adjustments-inclusion/">reduced anxiety for those with learning differences</a>. </p>
<p>If implemented as a matter of routine, <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003293101">assessment for inclusion</a> has the potential to improve the learning experience of many students from diverse backgrounds. Rather than just the ones who know about, and feel comfortable enough, to ask for help.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-arts-degrees-and-other-generalist-programs-are-the-future-of-australian-higher-education-203046">Why arts degrees and other generalist programs are the future of Australian higher education</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203048/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Compulsory tests, essays, regular grades and timed exams are considered a given in university life. But the Universities Accord should change this.Joanna Tai, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin UniversityMargaret Bearman, Associate Professor (Assessment and Digital Learning), Deakin UniversityMollie Dollinger, Senior Lecturer, Learning Futures, Deakin UniversityRola Ajjawi, Associate Professor, Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1999802023-03-13T20:26:16Z2023-03-13T20:26:16ZHow ‘grade obsession’ is detrimental to students and their education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514218/original/file-20230308-20-axklna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4718%2C2568&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Focusing on grades or scoring doesn't help students learn and retain information and causes pressure and stress.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Elisa Ventur)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Grading has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203930502">central to most education systems</a> for over a century.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316672069">During the 1800s</a>, students’ achievement in school was communicated to parents through oral progress reports (typically through a visit from teachers to the student’s parents at home). These oral reports were later transformed into written reports and then into grades, first in secondary school, then in the elementary years.</p>
<p>Grades were initially seen as an efficient way to communicate student achievement in school to parents. Grades are meant to represent, using letters or numbers, the quality (and at times, the quantity) of student learning in a subject, either on assignments or on report cards. </p>
<p>It’s a common perception that students “earn” grades for their achievement at school; in this way, grades have become the primary currency of learning.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/educators-must-commit-now-to-tackle-grade-inflation-104303">Educators must commit now to tackle grade inflation</a>
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<p>But students’ grades have serious consequences for their lives. Universities and colleges select students and <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1165318">award scholarships</a> based primarily on grades. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/10/19/do-college-grades-predict-future-success/?sh=4441911d5af6">Higher grades lead to more post-secondary education opportunities</a>, which can result in higher paying jobs. Having better grades can also open opportunities for studying <a href="https://doi.org/10.5206/cie-eci.v47i1.9324">in new countries</a>.</p>
<p>Given the consequences of grades, it’s no wonder many students and parents are grade obsessed.</p>
<p>In a recent survey of teachers from around the world, our ongoing research has found that respondents identified “grading obsession” as one of the top challenges in education. Teachers felt that many students, parents and other educators primarily focus on grades over feedback to improve learning. </p>
<p>The results of our study to date suggest that the grading obsession poses a significant threat to student well-being, learning and equitable education.</p>
<h2>Negative outcomes of grading obsession</h2>
<p>A fixation on grades can lower students’ <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2019.1686540">self-esteem and life satisfaction</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023911">Grades encourage comparison and competition</a> among students, potentially harming their relationships with their peers and teachers.</p>
<p>Testing, one of the main tools used to generate grades, has been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2015.1085323">increase student anxiety</a>, which can actually lower student achievement. In serious cases, students have reported experiencing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-015-0575-7">suicidal thoughts</a> associated with testing.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man is seen from behind as he writes an exam, pen in hand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514215/original/file-20230308-1075-7l4wg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Testing has been shown to increase student anxiety, sometimes to extreme degrees.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Ben Mullins)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Grade obsession <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102">changes how students learn</a>. When students are mainly motivated by getting good grades, they tend to focus on memorizing information instead of deeply understanding new concepts, establishing connections and making creative extensions. </p>
<p>They are also less likely to take risks in their learning — an important part of growth and development. Focusing on getting the correct answer may overshadow deep learning and integration of teacher feedback.</p>
<p>Of particular concern, when grades are constructed from narrow measures of student achievement — tests, for example — they stand to marginalize groups of students and limit diverse ways of knowing. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2011.v17i3.74">Indigenous perspectives</a> see learning as a balance between cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual and physical development. Current grading practices in western school traditions prioritize the cognitive element without fully recognizing the role and importance of other dimensions of learning.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-basket-weaving-makes-an-excellent-digital-math-lesson-110094">Indigenous basket-weaving makes an excellent digital math lesson</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<h2>The role of parents and educators</h2>
<p>Grades <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2004.10516425">affect parents and teachers</a> too. Parents rely mainly on grades to know if their children are doing well in school — they often <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276940584_Reviewing_research_on_parent_attitudes_towards_school_assessment_Implications_for_classroom_assessment_practices">find it difficult</a> to assess their child’s educational success without grades.</p>
<p>Parents are also interested in how their children compare to their classmates. Understanding the consequences of grades, it is understandable that parents can encourage their child to focus on grades.</p>
<p>Across the Greater Toronto Area — Canada’s largest metropolitan zone — students’ <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/10/29/an-explosion-in-a-students-grades-are-rising-at-gta-high-schools-heres-what-it-means-for-your-kids.html">grades are increasing</a>, which has been a general trend stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, a phenomenon known as compassionate grading. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-top-scholar-students-really-so-remarkable-or-are-teachers-inflating-their-grades-191035">Are 'top scholar' students really so remarkable — or are teachers inflating their grades?</a>
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<p>This trend may put additional pressure on parents to help their children get competitive grades.</p>
<p>In countries where students’ results on national or state tests impact teacher pay, teachers often feel they must <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.31">“teach to the test”</a> rather than focus on broader learning goals, a practice <a href="https://educationalresearchtechniques.com/2017/05/26/washback/">called “washback.”</a> </p>
<p>In fact, the grading obsession is caused by educational accountability systems and competition for post-secondary placements — not parents, teachers or students. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, many educators are aware of the negative impacts and are <a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ungrading-how-one-ontario-teacher-is-changing-her-approach-to-report-cards-1.5971757">fighting back</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teacher leans over the desk of two students and looks at the notes of one." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514222/original/file-20230308-24-fi89ac.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers sometimes feel compelled to ‘teach to the test,’ a phenomenon known as washback, but are beginning to fight back.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Tackling the grading obsession</h2>
<p>Our study has found that the obsession with grades prevented teachers from using assessment in ways that would support meaningful learning. </p>
<p>Teacher feedback is one of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487">most powerful influences</a> on student learning. However, if students do not prioritize teacher feedback, it cannot support their development. Ironically, focusing on grades tends to lead to lower grades while focusing on teacher feedback can support better grades.</p>
<p>Teachers wanted to dedicate class time to student self-assessment and peer assessment activities. These activities are important for helping students <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2019.1571992">develop independent learning skills</a>. However, they felt pressure to instead dedicate class time to covering graded content.</p>
<p>Ironically, the answer to the pervasive grading obsession may be in doing more assessment. </p>
<p>“Assessment talk” was articulated by teachers in our survey as key to combating the grading obsession. Teachers explained that assessment talk involves communicating openly with students, parents and other educators about their approaches to assessment.</p>
<p>It involves re-centring the priorities on <a href="https://csaa.wested.org/spotlight/formative-assessment-in-action/">formative assessment</a> — assessment practices known to support deep learning — including self-assessment, peer assessment, setting clear and attainable learning goals, questioning and providing feedback.</p>
<h2>Embracing the value of feedback</h2>
<p>Many teachers began their school year by explicitly teaching students about formative assessment to counter the dominant focus on grading. Formative assessments allow teachers, students and parents to understand how students are progressing in their learning and to choose appropriate next steps.</p>
<p>Teachers used peer and self-assessment activities to help students see the value of giving, receiving and using feedback. Instead of competing for grades, students focused on co-operating to help each other improve.</p>
<p>Teachers also discussed formative assessment with parents in parent-teacher conferences and on curriculum nights. They found ways for parents to be a part of the assessment process, in ongoing ways. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man and his daughter, who has long brown hair and bangs, talk at a desk with a teacher, who is seen from behind." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514231/original/file-20230308-24-4lzz0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers are finding ways for parents to be part of the assessment process.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some created digital learning folders that parents could access, sometimes daily, to see their child’s work and the teacher’s feedback. In some cases, parents were invited to comment as well, creating ongoing assessment talk across students, parents and teachers. </p>
<p>Such an approach is far more powerful to support learning and informative compared to waiting for a term-based report card grade. Assessment shifts from something that happens to students towards an ongoing process that students, parents and teachers engage in together.</p>
<p>Through assessment talk, students can have their cake and eat it too: better learning and well-being should ultimately lead to better student grades.</p>
<p><em>Alex Hemmerich, a Bachelor of Education student at Queen’s University, co-authored this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199980/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Coombs receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher DeLuca receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danielle LaPointe-McEwan receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Rickey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Teachers in a study identify ‘grading obsession’ as a top challenge in education. Some are fighting back and dedicating class time to student self-assessment and peer assessment activities.Nathan Rickey, Doctoral Student, Faculty of Education, Queen's University, OntarioAndrew Coombs, Teaching Assistant Professor, Memorial University of NewfoundlandChristopher DeLuca, Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Professor, Faculty of Education, Queen's University, OntarioDanielle LaPointe-McEwan, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2007192023-03-01T19:05:56Z2023-03-01T19:05:56ZHow to avoid annoying your kids and getting ‘stressed by proxy’ during exam season<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512624/original/file-20230228-22-pq3q8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C6%2C4045%2C2676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>I knew assessment season was upon us when my son frantically asked me one morning before school if I had any spare pens in my bag. Despite the fact most tests have moved online, it appears the fear of ink in a pen running out remains a timeless stress factor. </p>
<p>This will likely be a familiar scenario. With NAPLAN moving to March and Year 11 and 12 students already in the throes of multiple assessments, exams are looming for many households with school-aged children. </p>
<p>This is likely to be stressful for parents as well as students, as families cope with pre-test anxieties and perhaps, different approaches to study and learning. </p>
<p>Exams are not the most important thing in life or in school. There is a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2020.544628/full">valid ongoing debate</a> among education researchers about the use of standardised testing. This comes on top of a welcome shift towards <a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/innovation/creative-thinking/">developing lifelong creative learners</a>, rather than kids who focus on tests.</p>
<p>In the meantime, how can we help our children manage this testing time?</p>
<h2>Kids will likely do things their way</h2>
<p>As parents, it is important to be aware of how your own school experiences may impact how you respond to your children sitting exams and preparing for them.</p>
<p>Perhaps studying came easily to you or it was very important to your identity growing up. Perhaps you have regrets about your involvement or engagement (or lack thereof) in school. Your natural instinct may be to try too hard to ensure your child does not replicate that experience. </p>
<p>Additionally we all have different ways of studying or revising information. Multiple <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1347421">systematic reviews</a> have debunked the notion of “preferred learning styles” or the idea that students prefer learning through seeing, listening, or physically engaging with a subject. But children may still approach learning differently to us. So we need to ensure our support is tailored to their needs, rather than our preferences. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-the-naplan-test-changes-mean-for-schools-and-students-199764">What do the NAPLAN test changes mean for schools and students?</a>
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<h2>How to really annoy your kids</h2>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiL82NRszK8">TEDx talk</a> I gave on the teenage brain and testing, I noted that, in my experience, one question annoys children more than any other:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Why aren’t you studying?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Interestingly, the word “assessment” can act as a great guiding point for parents wanting to help their children during tests and exams. The word “assess” in Latin is the combination of two words meaning “to sit by or sit beside”. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PiL82NRszK8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>How to ‘sit by’ your children</h2>
<p>When it comes to assessment time, instead of getting what I call “stressed by proxy”, it’s important to remain calm because your child will take your cues from you. Some steps to help your child during this time include:</p>
<p><strong>1. Leave them alone after school</strong></p>
<p>When they get home, give them some much needed decompression time, rather than diving straight into study. We know students manage multiple transitions and interactions during the day. </p>
<p>Just as adults need breathing space when they get home from work, so do young people. Even half an hour will help.</p>
<p><strong>2. Have supplies ready</strong></p>
<p>Years of experience have taught me that for some reason, a black pen and a lead pencil are like gold in my household. I have no scientific explanation for the nebula they continually disappear into, but I have a secret stash to be proffered when needed. </p>
<p>I also have a spare charger and highlighter pens because they also become hot button items ahead of exams.</p>
<p><strong>3. This includes snacks and water</strong></p>
<p>A good way to help rather than impose yourself on your kids is to bring them snacks and water first before starting a conversation. Kids will often be hungry, tired and overwhelmed at the end of a long day at school. When we meet this simple need, it is often a great basis for a deeper chat. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A hand, pouring a class of water, with a sandwich in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512625/original/file-20230228-16-epmpy9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Offering snacks can be a good way to start a conversation with your child about how they are going.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterestock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>4. Show them you love them anyway</strong></p>
<p>Finally, it’s important to make it clear to young people that assessments are the equivalent of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/snapchat-streak">Snapchat streak</a>. They capture a brief moment in time and that is all. </p>
<p>Maintaining <a href="https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.ecu.edu.au/stable/pdf/24031925.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A99e57a21e5f55b41a96a86c7a34500c2&ab_segments=&origin=&initiator=&acceptTC=1">close and loving connections</a> with our kids during these times of stress is far more important for their longer term wellbeing. </p>
<p>A great measure of success is children being able to disclose their results with us, knowing they are emotionally safe to do so. Sometimes that may mean putting on our best poker face, or taking some very deep silent breaths. </p>
<p>Either way, it’s important we remain a safe space that is available any time they need. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/back-to-school-blues-are-normal-so-how-can-you-tell-if-its-something-more-serious-198671">Back-to-school blues are normal, so how can you tell if it's something more serious?</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200719/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Jefferson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With NAPLAN moving to March and Year 11 and 12 students already in the throes of multiple assessments, exams are looming for many households with school-aged children.Sarah Jefferson, Senior Lecturer in Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1943412022-11-20T19:04:49Z2022-11-20T19:04:49ZWith record numbers of students cheating, unis should revert to old school in-person exams<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495004/original/file-20221114-2705-gww4nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C31%2C4246%2C2794&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sergey Zolkin/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Contract cheating – where commercial cheating services provide assignments for university students – has become a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8539823/">global problem</a>. </p>
<p>Australia is not immune. According to the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/university-students-caught-paying-others-to-do-their-work-at-record-levels-20221025-p5bsrx.html">latest data</a>, record numbers of Australian students are paying someone else to do their assessments.</p>
<p>This comes amid broader concerns about rising levels of cheating during COVID.</p>
<p>Last week, the University of New South Wales said it was detecting more than double the amount of cheating among its students post COVID. Before the pandemic, just under 2% of students were caught in misconduct processes each year. Now it is close to 4.5%. </p>
<p>“It’s really taken off during the pandemic,” Deputy Vice-Chancellor George Williams <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/universities-move-to-stamp-out-soaring-rates-of-online-cheating/101649586">told Radio National</a>. </p>
<p>This isn’t just problem for individual universities. It threatens the integrity and reputation of a university degree and the whole higher education system. </p>
<p>Our research <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3511861.3511865?casa_token=fBuR6OIy8xwAAAAA:ntcQkEqlEunwbHPJdTCupSv-LIQBfx04kMjAdEm9apJZLt7MR7dbO7UJYWXED1n_i1Z-EUh4ykfh_3g">suggests</a> the way to address this is to revert to more traditional ways of holding exams.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-unis-stick-with-online-assessment-after-covid-theyll-have-do-more-to-stop-cheating-185762">If unis stick with online assessment after COVID, they'll have do more to stop cheating</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Harsh penalties are not working</h2>
<p>There are harsh penalties for cheating if a student is caught. They can been expelled from their course or even have their degree revoked. </p>
<p>However, these deterrents are not working. Research in 2021 showed <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-10-uni-students-submit-assignments-written-by-someone-else-and-most-are-getting-away-with-it-166410">one in ten students</a> either pay someone to write their essays or use content they find that was not written by them. Other studies show up to 95% of cases <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02602938.2021.1957773?journalCode=caeh20">go undetected</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students sitting at separated desks for an exam." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495007/original/file-20221114-9439-3oyoe7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exams have traditionally been taken in specially set-up halls, with staff to check no one cheats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bucharest-romania-november-15-2020-large-1854615049">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If assignments and many exams are done online or at home, this provides new opportunities to collude with other students. Or to pay a cheating service to do it. </p>
<p>Students can also use artificial intelligence tools to write essays which <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/10/26/machines-can-craft-essays-how-should-writing-be-taught-now#.Y1md7k2kUKE.link">prevent plagiarism software</a> from picking this up. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, academic staff are already overworked and may not have the time or capacity to <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-83255-1_24">detect and report</a> misconduct cases. </p>
<p>The issue, of course, has been <a href="https://telrp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41039-021-00166-8">made worse</a> by the increased use of online assessments during COVID. </p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3511861.3511865?casa_token=k6OM4xPWIZIAAAAA:LccdTUIV5NCyCdRNOpFfV6Efwin1hSYwf2ZuI8eepNKQrP4Do495TXEdzg6UiQsVhM7ijWlq-knk3YU">research</a> looked at how 47 academics working in computing courses were upholding academic integrity during COVID and the move online. </p>
<p>We focused on bachelors degree and coursework masters degrees across 41 Australian universities. </p>
<p>Our interviewees told us that pre-pandemic, the majority of final exams were done in person and were monitored by academic staff. During COVID, many assessments moved online and simply could not be supervised. </p>
<p>As one interviewee told us, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>There was a lot more cheating, both plagiarism and collusion […] students are cheating in way that they were not able to cheat with paper, supervised exams.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>we would release the exam at 8am […] and about 20 minutes later the questions were appearing on the contract cheating sites […] we did think of limiting the time they had available to do the exam, but clearly, the internet moves faster than we do. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The random interview approach</h2>
<p>Interviewees <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3511861.3511865?casa_token=k6OM4xPWIZIAAAAA:LccdTUIV5NCyCdRNOpFfV6Efwin1hSYwf2ZuI8eepNKQrP4Do495TXEdzg6UiQsVhM7ijWlq-knk3YU">told us</a> how post-exam interviews were used way to try and detect and prevent cheating during online assessments. </p>
<p>In these interviews (also called vivas) academics can check whether an exam was completed by the appropriate student and that they worked by themselves. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-does-getting-help-on-an-assignment-turn-into-cheating-120215">When does getting help on an assignment turn into cheating?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Before an exam, students were warned they might be required to do an interview after the exam. They might be selected randomly or might be chosen because of suspicions raised by their exam answers. </p>
<p>But as one interviewee explained, even this wasn’t enough to stop cheating – “the thought of a viva didn’t stop them”. </p>
<p>Our research suggests universities should strongly consider going back to the past and holding exams in person. As one interviewee noted: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We haven’t come up with an answer as to how to do assured assessment online […] all of the solutions that we’ve tried for online invigilation [monitoring] have problems of one kind or another. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another academic was more blunt:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>you cannot ensure academic integrity in online assessment.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Why we need old fashioned methods</h2>
<p>There is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/push-for-more-online-learning-as-universities-pin-hopes-on-2024-recovery-20211118-p59a5d.html">huge interest</a> in moving university life online post-COVID, as the sector moves to make learning as flexible as possible. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-took-away-due-dates-for-university-assignments-heres-what-we-found-193024">We took away due dates for university assignments. Here's what we found</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some universities in our study are considering moving entirely to online exams. This obviously presents ongoing integrity issues. And it suggests we may be employing and trusting qualified experts who have not earned those qualifications. </p>
<p>But rather than fancier technology or harsher penalties, our research suggests we need to be reverting to more traditional methods of assessing students. </p>
<p>This means traditional face-to-face exams, with student identity card checks, arranged seating, and exam rooms monitored by staff. </p>
<p>This will be less flexible for students, particularly for those who are still overseas or who still need to practice social distancing. But it remains a tried and trusted method of ensuring students are doing their own exams. </p>
<p><em>The author would like to acknowledge the team members who worked on this research: Sander Leemans, Queensland University of Technology, Regina Berretta, University of Newcastle, Ayse Bilgin, Macquarie University, Trina Myers, Queensland University of Technology, Judy Sheard, Monash University, Simon, formerly of the University of Newcastle and Lakmali Herath Jayarathna, Central Queensland University.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194341/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meena Jha received funding for this project from the Australian Council of Deans of Information and Communication Technology (ACDICT), under the ALTA grant scheme. </span></em></p>Research suggests the only way to effectively combat online cheating for now is holding exams in person.Meena Jha, Researcher in Information Communications Technology, CQUniversity AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1920862022-10-10T19:02:19Z2022-10-10T19:02:19ZSelf-compassion is the superpower year 12 students need for exams … and life beyond school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488696/original/file-20221007-12-19hrr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C5%2C3628%2C2044&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Giulia Bertelli/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week, year 12 students in New South Wales will begin their <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/hsc-exam-timetable-released">final exams</a>, with students in other states soon to follow. </p>
<p>This can be one of the most stressful times in a students’ life. It can also be very stressful for parents trying to support their children. </p>
<p>But there is a superpower in the arsenal of every year 12 student that can be harnessed to manage this stress. This superpower fuels resilience, not only for exams, but for any difficult situation they may be faced with across their lifespan. It’s called self-compassion. </p>
<p>I am a clinical psychologist who specialises in self-compassion. This is how you can use it, both for yourself and for your kids. </p>
<h2>What is is self-compassion?</h2>
<p>The most enduring relationship we have is the the one we have with ourselves. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A figure holding up a heart." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488695/original/file-20221007-16-l771i4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Self-compassion means talking to yourself like you would talk to a friend.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nick Fewings/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This relationship shapes how we think, feel and behave to such an extent that often we are not even aware of it. We may think being hard or critical on ourselves pushes us to achieve results. But research shows this can <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/adolescent-emotional-development-and-the-emergence-of-depressive-disorders/shame-selfcriticism-and-selfcompassion-in-adolescence/E31809AE068CAA6D7F2C14DE7138A018">lead to</a> self-doubt, avoidance of hard tasks, higher risk of psychological illness and poor resilience.</p>
<p>In contrast, self-compassion encourages us to feel comfortable in our own skin. It allows us to generate our own feelings of warmth, reassurance, soothing and liking who we are. </p>
<h2>What does it look like?</h2>
<p>Difficult moments, like an unexpected exam question, are a ripe breeding ground for self-criticism. You may be familiar with thoughts like, “I’m not good enough, I can’t do this, I should have worked harder, I’m going to fail, I am a failure.” These self-critical thoughts are almost addictive – when they pop up it is easy to fixate on them and spiral into panic or avoidance.</p>
<p>In contrast, picture a friend sitting the same exam and getting the same unexpected question. This is a good friend who you really care about. If you could say something to them in that moment, it’s probably easy to think of supportive words. Such as, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I know this is hard, but you can do this. Your best is good enough. This one exam will not define your life, even if you get this wrong. I still think you’re a wonderful person.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Self-compassionate responses are more likely to make us feel confident, safer and therefore resilient. If we’re feeling this way, it will likely be easier to at least attempt the question rather than give up. It it is easy to draw on compassionate wisdom for our friends. But why don’t we say these things to ourselves?</p>
<h2>Our tricky brains</h2>
<p>We don’t because we have a “<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/ECBC8B7B87E90ABB58C4530CDEE04088/S1355514600005654a.pdf/introducing-compassion-focused-therapy.pdf">tricky brain</a>”. </p>
<p>We like to think of ourselves as sensible and rational, but the brain is actually a faulty piece of machinery. The brain is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3397866/">hardwired</a>, through evolution, to focus on threat.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-predict-final-school-marks-in-year-11-its-time-to-replace-stressful-exams-with-more-meaningful-education-190071">We can predict final school marks in year 11 – it's time to replace stressful exams with more meaningful education</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Noticing threat, and triggering the <a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/fight-or-flight#1">flight or fight response</a>, is what kept our ancestors alive when they were faced with an aggressive cave man or attack from a sabre tooth tiger. </p>
<p>Today, threats tend to be less extreme: like not getting the score we want in a test or not having the career pathway we might like. But our mind and body still react in the same way as if we are facing a sabre tooth tiger, flooding our body with adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol. </p>
<h2>The (many) advantages of self-compassion</h2>
<p>Treating ourselves with the same kindness and support as we would a good friend comes with a plethora of mental health benefits. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Notebook with message, 'am I good enough?'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/488698/original/file-20221007-12-fq369a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our brains are hardwired to detect threats … and be tough on ourselves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">HelloI'mNik/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is associated with <a href="https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aphw.12051">greater psychological well-being</a> and <a href="http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/64162/1/64162.pdf">a lower risk</a> of developing symptoms of poor mental health. </p>
<p>It leads to <a href="https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Arch-Landy-Brown_2016.pdf">better stress-management</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0146167212445599">boosts motivation</a> to study for exams, often contributing to better grades. Self-compassion gives us the bravery to try things we may fail at, because we can take bigger chances if we know we won’t beat ourselves up if we fall short. And sometimes, as with more study, these chances and extra effort pay off. </p>
<p>Self-compassion can also weaken the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0192022">link</a> between perfectionism and depression. Perfectionism involves high standards and high levels of self-criticism and which can lead to depressive symptoms, especially when we fall short of our goals. But self-compassion may enable perfectionists to have high standards and be motivated to do well, without experiencing the mental health cost. </p>
<p>For example, in the lead up to an exam, having high standards and wanting to achieve can motivate us to study. But during and after the exam, this perfectionism can turn into self-criticsm which places us at risk of feeling low and unmotivated. </p>
<p>If we are compassionate with ourselves, we can normalise how tough exams are, and show unconditional positive regard for ourselves no matter the outcome. These compassionate ways of thinking can help protect us from depression symptoms. </p>
<h2>How can we learn and teach self-compassion?</h2>
<p>Some of us tend to be more self-compassionate than others. But if you’re not naturally a very self-compassionate person, there is good news. Research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-019-01134-6">suggests</a> you can learn to do it. </p>
<p>Here are some ways to approach it, both for yourselves and your kids: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Check yourself</strong>: before talking with your child about self-compassion, consider how you treat yourself when under stress. Do you notice when your self-critic is triggered? It is hard to be genuine when encouraging someone else to be self-compassionate if you are not.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Model self-compassion</strong>: when you make an error, try replacing “I’m so stupid I let this happen” with “I’m upset about this and that’s okay – anyone would feel this way in this situation”. Talk to yourself in a soft, calm tone. Whether you say it aloud or even just think it, your behaviour in that moment will change, and your kids will see this</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Talk about it</strong>: start a conversation with your child about their relationship with themselves. You could start with: “what do you tend to say to yourself or feel about yourself during exams?” or “what effect does this have on you?”</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Help them spot self-criticism</strong>: encourage your child to notice when self-criticism pops up. Give the self-criticsm a name such as “Voldemort” or the “angry voice”. Say, “When you notice Voldemort is hanging around, gently ask yourself, what would you say to a good friend or a ten-year-old version of yourself in this situation?” This simple question is a powerful way to tap into the compassionate wisdom we all carry</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Give yourself a hug</strong>: to help calm yourself, give yourself a hug. Either wrap your arms around yourself or hold your hand on your heart or chest and notice the warmth. Research <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000655">tells us</a> we get a flood of oxytocin - the body’s “love drug” – and relax when we are hugged by someone we trust. Our brain and body has an almost identical reaction when we hug ourselves. Use as a this short-cut to trigger some feelings of self-compassion. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>And don’t forget this</h2>
<p>Self-compassion is not something you master once, and then move on from. It is a lifelong journey of practising and learning. Sometimes, especially when we are busy or stressed, it will drop off and we may need reminding of it’s superpower. </p>
<p>As a self-compassion researcher, I talk, write, think, debate and practice self-compassion daily. Yet I still find myself listening to Voldemort at times. This is part of living with a “tricky brain”. But there is a more self-compassionate option. And if we take it, the science says we will be more resilient and more likely to accomplish our goals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192086/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeleine Ferrari receives internal support and funding from Australian Catholic University to conduct research in the self-compassion field. She also previously received NHMRC funding to complete her PhD in this topic. </span></em></p>Self-compassion is about talking to yourself like you would talk to a good friend.Madeleine Fraser, Clinical Psychology Lecturer , Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1899732022-09-25T20:03:49Z2022-09-25T20:03:49ZIs selective school right for your child? Here are 7 questions to help you decide<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/485230/original/file-20220919-60504-575p00.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=81%2C81%2C5925%2C3836&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">CHUTTERSNAP/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents and students are currently making big decisions about next year. </p>
<p>Some will have just received or be about to receive offers of a selective school place for 2023. Other parents need to decide soon if they will <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7">apply</a> for their children to sit selective schools tests next year for entry in 2024. Or if they should be looking at other high school options. </p>
<p>These decisions can seem overwhelming for families. What are some of the issues to consider?</p>
<h2>What is selective school?</h2>
<p>Selective schools are <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/en/article/australias-selective-entry-school-admissions-explained/y8zt3ni7k">public high schools</a> where students sit a competitive test to be accepted the year before entry.</p>
<p>They are <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-south-wales-has-48-selective-schools-while-victoria-has-4-theres-an-interesting-history-behind-this-118823">mostly found</a> in New South Wales, where there are about 50 schools. But there are small number in other states, including <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/parents-and-carers/enrolment/management-plans/brisbane-state-high-school">Queensland </a>(years 7 to 12), <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/selective-entry-high-schools">Victoria</a> (years 9 to 12) and <a href="https://www.education.wa.edu.au/selective-schools">Western Australia</a> (7 to 12).</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-is-trying-to-make-the-selective-school-application-process-fairer-but-is-it-doing-enough-187283">NSW is trying to make the selective school application process fairer – but is it doing enough?</a>
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<p>The success rate varies, but is is very competitive. For example, in NSW this. year, there were <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/major-overhaul-one-fifth-of-selective-school-places-to-go-to-disadvantaged-students-20220715-p5b1ud.html">15,660 applications</a> for <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7/what-are-selective-high-schools/places-available-in-selective-high-schools">4,248 places</a>.</p>
<h2>The pros and cons</h2>
<p>Selective school places are highly sought-after – these schools feature prominently in the top schools for year 12 results. But they don’t have the fees of elite private schools. </p>
<p>Some students feel energised by the “best of the best” atmosphere in which they can focus and find similarly capable peers.</p>
<p>But there is an <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-stress-unclear-gains-are-selective-schools-really-worth-it-160762">ongoing debate</a> about whether they should exist in the first place. There is also an obvious focus on test performance, rather than the <a href="https://www.lifeskillsgroup.com.au/blog/21st-century-skills-why-we-need-them">modern skills students</a> need to learn such as collaboration, tech literacy and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/robynshulman/2020/03/10/this-is-what-happens-when-we-close-doors-on-creativity-in-the-classroom/?sh=59ba304c151e">creativity</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-stress-unclear-gains-are-selective-schools-really-worth-it-160762">More stress, unclear gains: are selective schools really worth it?</a>
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<p>And while academic streaming does <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-018-0019-8">seem</a> to improve the performance of high achievers, it can harm the confidence of those who get in (as well as those who don’t). As Australian Catholic University education scholar Associate Professor Philip Parker <a href="https://www.impact.acu.edu.au/community/are-selective-schools-good-or-bad-for-our-kids">has explained</a>, selective schools can create a “big fish little pond” effect where students lose a realistic sense of where they fall within the full student achievement spectrum.</p>
<p>Even if students gain a place at selective school, they can find the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/27/hothoused-and-hyper-racialised-the-ethnic-imbalance-in-our-selective-schools">competition</a> counter-productive. Australian selective school students are increasingly <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/126624/1/Institutionalised-Separation-Report-13-July.pdf">speaking out</a> about the mental health impacts of studying in a stressful, competitive environment. </p>
<h2>Don’t forget tutoring</h2>
<p>The Australian tutoring industry is huge, not just for parents seeking to improve their child’s performance in class, but in <a href="https://theconversation.com/selective-schools-increasingly-cater-to-the-most-advantaged-students-74151">preparation</a> for selective entry exams. </p>
<p>While the entry tests measure general literacy, maths and logic skills – and do not require study – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01596306.2015.1061976?journalCode=cdis20">many students</a> undergo months or even years of expensive and often stressful tutoring to prepare. </p>
<p>A 2010 US study suggested tutoring and coaching for selective entry exams only had a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3200/JOER.98.2.115?casa_token=qlRiBd9mSeIAAAAA:K3vMgHf3owN6LpKs-nsaan3M6yzdF-lU1yTh8QOMJXz9YXXNszjGRnFtnt2LU474J-QnfQtClcLc">moderate effect</a> on student’s results, but this is far from conclusive. Given the competition to gain entry to these schools, students and their parents may be more confident knowing they’ve had tutoring. That confidence alone may improve their performance. </p>
<h2>What should parents think about?</h2>
<p>It’s understandable that parents might be confused. How do you know if the selective school is right for your child? Here are some issues to consider: </p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>school culture</strong>: are the schools you are considering particularly competitive? Do they have an emphasis on other activities, away from exam marks? Do they encourage sport, music or creative arts? Do they emphasise mental health? Do they have programs to support students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse identities? </p></li>
<li><p><strong>location</strong>: if your child is successful, will it mean a very long commute for them? </p></li>
<li><p><strong>your child’s strengths</strong>: does your child enjoy school work and sitting tests? Or do their strengths lie in other, less traditionally academic areas? </p></li>
<li><p><strong>your child’s temperament</strong>: does your child become anxious in testing situations, or do they enjoy the “performance” aspect of them? </p></li>
<li><p><strong>your child’s opinion</strong>: is your child self-motivated to go to a selective school, or are you trying to convince them it’s “good” for them? If they are keen, giving them a chance - with the appropriate support - might help them decide. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>tutoring</strong>: does your child want to do tutoring or exam preparation? Can you afford the fees and time if they do? </p></li>
<li><p><strong>your child’s teacher</strong>: have you had conversations with your child’s teachers? Do they believe your child has the academic aptitude and emotional capacity to thrive in a selective school environment?</p></li>
</ol><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189973/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel X. Harris receives funding from the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship scheme.</span></em></p>Selective schools provide a ‘best of the best’ education in the public system, but can involve added stress for young people.Daniel X. Harris, Professor and Associate Dean, Research & Innovation, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1900712022-09-18T20:14:45Z2022-09-18T20:14:45ZWe can predict final school marks in year 11 – it’s time to replace stressful exams with more meaningful education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484564/original/file-20220914-15-40gf9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C2407%2C1934&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Yustinus Tjiuwanda/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Year 12 students around Australia are preparing to sit their final exams.
For many young people this is one of the most stressful parts of school, with their future <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-11/year-12-exams-are-they-worth-the-stress/9029260">supposedly coming down to one number</a>.</p>
<p>This is an outdated way of finishing school and working out what students do in the next phase of their lives. </p>
<p>Universities and TAFEs are increasingly using other methods – such as interviews or portfolios – to offer places to school leavers. In 2021, more than 25,000 NSW students applied for an <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/universities-bypass-atars-as-record-number-of-students-receive-early-offers-20220906-p5bfvf.html">early offer</a> through the “schools recommendation scheme”, to lock in a university place before they sit their exams. This is up from 5,447 in 2014, suggesting year 12 exams may not be as necessary as we once thought.</p>
<p>Our research shows you can reliably predict a student’s year 12 results by year 11. This also suggests we don’t need a battery of stressful exams to work out if a student is suited for tertiary education. </p>
<p>This gives us the opportunity to radically rethink how the final years of school are structured. </p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Two years ago, we <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-know-by-year-11-what-mark-students-will-get-in-year-12-do-we-still-need-a-stressful-exam-140746">studied</a> more than 10,000 students in the Catholic Education Diocese of Paramatta, NSW. We have repeated the study and our work now includes 20,000 students across 21 exam areas.</p>
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<img alt="Students doing year 12 exams in 2021." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484774/original/file-20220915-9420-ahb3e1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Students sitting their year 12 English exams in NSW in 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span>
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<p>We used <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/analytics-framework-for-k-12-school-systems/193558">predictive analytics</a> which links multiple pieces of information about student progression through school. </p>
<p>We used 17 variables including year 9 NAPLAN scores, Higher School Certificate subject choices and year 11 attendance. We also use demographic information, such as how long a student has lived in Australia and a school’s socioeconomic rating. </p>
<p>Across both our studies, we found we could predict year 12 results in year 11, with a 93% accuracy rate.</p>
<p>Our purpose here is not to label students, but to change the focus of school and the efforts of students and teachers. </p>
<h2>What can we do differently in schools?</h2>
<p>We are already seeing the beginnings of <a href="https://www.bigpicture.org.au/">new ways</a> of “doing school” in Australia. Some schools are changing their focus from year 12 exams to students doing internships, creating portfolios of work, doing TAFE or university certificates, or doing an overseas exchange. </p>
<p>In British Columbia, Canada, final school assessments include a project that connects “real-world” applications of the curriculum for each student.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-things-to-help-improve-your-exam-results-besides-studying-124178">3 things to help improve your exam results (besides studying)</a>
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<p>In Estonia, now among the world leaders in education, traditional “knowledge and understanding” approaches have been replaced with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, digital skills and citizenship. These are all qualities that fit with both employers’ needs and measures of success in the adult world. </p>
<p>Students undertake a cross-disciplinary <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-education-commission-how-estonia-does-it-lessons-from-europe-s-best-school-system-qm7xt7n9s">creative project</a> to graduate from the equivalent of year 10 – an example might be studying the impact of music on managing the onset of dementia in older people. They then do a research project before finishing high school. </p>
<h2>Year 12 exams are outdated</h2>
<p>High school as we’ve known it has been dominated by high stakes, high-pressure exams that have outlived their usefulness. If we can reliably predict the results, we don’t need the tests. </p>
<p>We know young people’s mental health is already poor, and has <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=14257#respond">suffered further</a> during COVID.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/40-of-year-12s-suffer-high-anxiety-at-exam-time-heres-what-parents-can-do-to-help-170211">40% of year 12s suffer high anxiety. At exam time, here's what parents can do to help</a>
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<p>We should be looking for ways to improve, rather than exacerbate this. We also know universities are increasingly open to other ways of admitting students. </p>
<p>There is an enormous opportunity here to reallocate resources and create a modern, meaningful school experience that excites young people. It can encourage them to seek career-building activities, study overseas, learn languages or follow passion projects – not just study for stressful exams that tell us what we already know. </p>
<p><em>The research for this piece is a continuation of the work initiated by Dr Raju Veranasi for his 2021 Phd at the University of Newcastle.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190071/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Fischetti is an unpaid, volunteer member of the Board of Directors of Big Picture Australia.</span></em></p>Research which shows you can reliably predict a student’s year 12 results by year 11. This suggests we don’t need a battery of stressful exams to work out what they do next.John Fischetti, Professor, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Human and Social Futures, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1896362022-09-05T20:04:19Z2022-09-05T20:04:19ZWhat parents should and shouldn’t say when talking to their child about NAPLAN results<p>It’s that time of year again when parents and students anxiously <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/victorian-students-receive-naplan-results">await their NAPLAN results</a>. </p>
<p>NAPLAN is a nationwide test of literacy and numeracy that all students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to take. It doesn’t impact entrance to high school or university, but is a measure of how a child is performing at school. </p>
<p>Just like every year, some students will bring home results that are lower than what they hoped for. If this happens to your child, you can play an important role in helping them overcome some of the disappointment and limit any impact on their wellbeing. </p>
<p>What should you say – and what shouldn’t you say – when discussing NAPLAN results with your child? </p>
<h2>Do talk about the context</h2>
<p>One thing parents can do for their student is help them understand the broader context of NAPLAN. </p>
<p>For one thing, the <a href="https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/faqs/naplan--general#:%7E:text=NAPLAN%20helps%20governments%2C%20education%20authorities,learning%20of%20literacy%20and%20numeracy.">purpose</a> of NAPLAN is for the government and public to get a broad understanding of how schools are performing. </p>
<p>This provides important information about where to allocate more resources to support schools in need. While individual families also receive information about how their student performed, this was not the original purpose of the test. </p>
<p>Another key aspect is the impact of COVID cannot be overstated when it comes to interpreting this year’s NAPLAN results. Countries around the world are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/sep/01/math-reading-scores-us-students-covid-pandemic-learning">reporting</a> that annual test scores are significantly down this year, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. </p>
<p>School disruptions might explain some of these drops, but we can’t forget the levels of fear, loss and trauma that many families have experienced due to the pandemic and floods. NAPLAN participation rates were <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/early-naplan-results-delayed-as-illness-floods-cause-high-absenteeism-20220826-p5bcxl.html">historically low</a> this year, which says a lot about the challenging circumstances students have faced. </p>
<h2>Do talk about life beyond NAPLAN</h2>
<p>Without fail, NAPLAN attracts national attention every year. To a student, it is hard to believe that NAPLAN could be anything but a very big deal. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://theconversation.com/naplan-testing-does-more-harm-than-good-26923">research</a> has shown students’ self esteem can be negatively impacted by lower-than-expected test results. </p>
<p>Parents can help students understand NAPLAN is only one indication of their learning progress. They can encourage their child to focus on their strengths and other indicators of achievement. These may be achievements in subjects not tested by NAPLAN, or involvement in extra curricular activities. </p>
<p>Parents may also like to note that some experts say the test should be abandoned or changed, arguing it it is <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-abandon-naplan-we-can-do-better-95363">too narrowly focused</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/naplan-writing-tests-hinder-creativity-so-what-could-we-use-in-their-place-94735">hampers creativity</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/it-hurt-my-heart-and-my-wallet-the-unnecessary-test-stressing-teachers-before-they-even-make-it-to-the-classroom-187860">'It hurt my heart and my wallet': the unnecessary test stressing teachers before they even make it to the classroom</a>
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<h2>Do talk to your child’s teacher</h2>
<p>Most importantly, if you have any questions about your student’s NAPLAN results, discuss these questions with your child’s teacher. </p>
<p>Teachers have the most valuable information about how your student is progressing through school. </p>
<p>Regardless of what NAPLAN results say, teachers are the ones who spend every day watching your student grow. They are constantly assessing learning, and they will be able to explain how your student is doing and how to interpret NAPLAN scores more holistically. </p>
<h2>Don’t compare your child’s results</h2>
<p>Please resist the urge to compare your student’s NAPLAN results to their peers’ or even their own previous scores. </p>
<p>I would say this every year, but it’s even more important now. The last few years have been extremely disruptive, and families have been impacted in very different ways. </p>
<p>It is impossible to know exactly how the effects of the pandemic influenced each student’s NAPLAN performance. Because of this, comparisons across students, classrooms or years can be misleading. </p>
<h2>Don’t focus on what NAPLAN ‘means’ for the future</h2>
<p>It is critical that students and parents understand that NAPLAN is only one narrow measure of learning. </p>
<p>NAPLAN only provides a small snapshot of how they performed on one day. NAPLAN will never be able to capture everything a student has learned or the progress they have made. </p>
<p>It is also true that NAPLAN doesn’t tell us much about what a student might do in the future. Most importantly, students should be reminded that NAPLAN does not define who they are, or what they are capable of achieving. </p>
<h2>And don’t panic!</h2>
<p>Regardless of how your student performs on NAPLAN this year, do not panic or get overly excited. </p>
<p>Remaining calm and encouraging your student to see NAPLAN as but one measure of achievement is crucial for supporting students’ wellbeing and future prospects. </p>
<p>Overreactions can have multiple consequences. They can lead to unnecessary pressure to perform better next time, which will likely have the opposite effect. </p>
<p>They can also lead to the incorrect <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/irhbM4XKM7FsCCvp69HP/full">belief</a> that NAPLAN scores are true predictors of what students will be capable of doing in the future. It is not worth jeopardising a student’s sense of worth simply because of one test score. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parents-and-screen-time-are-you-a-contract-maker-or-an-access-denier-with-your-child-188977">Parents and screen time: are you a 'contract maker' or an 'access denier' with your child?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189636/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Holloway receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Results are coming back for students in years, 3, 5, 7 and 9. It can seem like a very big deal to stressed students. In reality, it is only one indicator of how a child is progressing.Jessica Holloway, Senior Research DECRA Fellow, Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1883272022-08-12T13:19:36Z2022-08-12T13:19:36ZUniversities shouldn’t use software to monitor online exams: here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478930/original/file-20220812-26-i7rj1p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">FluxFactory/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Proctoring software monitors a student’s computer or phone while they write exams. These programs have been around for some time but became ubiquitous during online learning in the pandemic.</p>
<p>Proctoria, Respondus and Proctor U, the most popular programs, have enjoyed <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/06/long-overdue-reckoning-online-proctoring-companies-may-finally-be-here">a 500% increase</a> in usage since the start of COVID-19 and proctoring software is now a <a href="https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2020/12/big-ed-tech-is-watching-you-privacy-prejudice-and-pedagogy-in-online-proctoring/">US$19 billion global market</a>. </p>
<p>Some proctoring programs work by checking that the student has only the test software and no other programs open; others monitor keystrokes. Some use the computer’s camera or cellphone audio to check that the student is working alone. A number of South African universities have taken up <a href="https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Colleges/Economic-and-Management-Sciences/News-&-events/Articles/Unisa-pilots-proctoring-tools-for-2nd-online-exam">cellphone monitoring</a> programs.</p>
<p>But this software is not innocuous.</p>
<p>I argue in a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14767430.2022.2100612">recent article</a> that the uptake of proctoring software is a symptom of a much larger problem.</p>
<p>Universities have neglected their educational responsibilities in service of a neoliberal ideology. This positions students as customers and higher education as a business. It’s a problem because when universities become businesses selling qualifications, it narrows their potential to be places where students enjoy transformative relationships with knowledge, and where knowledge is created to serve people and the planet. </p>
<p>The ability to memorise information and regurgitate it within a short time limit is required in only a small handful of situations. What most students need is to understand how knowledge is made in their field of study, what contributions that field makes to society, and how they can source and evaluate information to answer questions and <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-school-maths-could-better-prepare-south-africans-for-the-world-of-work-147394">resolve problems</a>. They need to learn how to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/education-needs-a-refocus-so-that-all-learners-reach-their-full-potential-154649">ethical, critical citizens</a>. </p>
<p>Assessment directed towards such ends looks very different from current practices, which are obsessed with both memorisation and cheating.</p>
<h2>What’s wrong with proctoring</h2>
<p>Proctoring raises three issues of concern: privacy, racism and ableism.</p>
<p><strong>Privacy:</strong> Those selling the software insist that students give consent to its use. But if students don’t, they are excluded from the exam. Universities have ethics committees to make sure their researchers don’t use such coercive tactics and yet they use them on students. Researchers have to ensure that potential participants fully understand a study’s potential risks and benefits before they can offer informed consent. </p>
<p>The invasiveness of the software is <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21526792/proctorio-online-test-proctoring-lawsuit-universities-students-coronavirus">well documented</a> and many scholars have said it has most of the characteristics of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/seanlawson/2020/04/24/are-schools-forcing-students-to-install-spyware-that-invades-their-privacy-as-a-result-of-the-coronavirus-lockdown/?sh=6db401d9638d">illegal spyware</a>. </p>
<p>Allowing a stranger to listen in on a student’s family home as they write a test is surely an indication that it’s the wrong way of doing assessment. </p>
<p><strong>Racism of facial recognition software:</strong> Whether it is the photo tagging suggestions of social media, border security systems, or proctoring software, <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.07023">facial recognition</a> remains poor at recognising people <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/tia/17063888.0039.308?view=text;rgn=main">with darker skin</a>. The artificial intelligence that compares the face on the student card to the person in front of the computer camera is far more likely to <a href="https://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/toward-abolishing-online-proctoring-counter-narratives-deep-change-and-pedagogies-of-educational-dignity/">flag a suspicion</a> if that student is black than if they are white.</p>
<p><strong>Ableism of facial recognition:</strong> Anyone with a body shape that does not meet the program’s expectations can find themselves flagged as suspicious. This includes the tics and stimming of people with Tourette’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s syndrome and autism.</p>
<p>Many American universities have now opted out of proctoring software in response to protests by academics and students.</p>
<p>But opting out attends to the symptom – universities spying on their students – and not to the causes of such activities.</p>
<h2>Neoliberal ideology</h2>
<p>The underlying cause is that many universities around the world have taken on a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoliberalism">neoliberal ideology</a>, whereby the worth of any person, object, creature or activity is thought to be measurable in terms of its contribution to the economy.</p>
<p>A neoliberal university believes, firstly, that it is a business in the knowledge market. In commercialising education, universities <a href="http://www.cilt.uct.ac.za/cilt/projects/uct-leeds">increasingly outsource educational activities</a> – such as monitoring examinations using proctoring software. </p>
<p>When Ian Linkletter, an educational technologist at the University of British Columbia in Canada, tweeted criticisms of the proctoring software used in his university, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21526792/proctorio-online-test-proctoring-lawsuit-universities-students-coronavirus">he was sued</a> by the company. The market cannot allow the critical engagement that should be at the heart of a university.</p>
<p>Secondly, the neoliberal university treats the student as a customer. In a world where knowledge is packaged and sold as a commodity, software companies convince universities that their product, the qualifications they award, can be devalued if they are not policed. </p>
<p>In such an understanding of the university, proctoring software makes sense.</p>
<p>It should come as no surprise that students are quickly learning <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/3an98j/students-are-easily-cheating-state-of-the-art-test-proctoring-tech">to game the system</a>. The internet is replete with tips on how to confuse the software and get assistance online even while the software is running.</p>
<p>The third characteristic of neoliberal ideology is that power is accorded along lines of <a href="https://theconversation.com/education-and-inequality-in-2021-how-to-change-the-system-158470">wealth</a>. This characteristic is also in evidence in most universities worldwide. The university, as a relatively wealthy institution, has the power to implement invasive technology without much challenge. The average student must simply comply.</p>
<h2>Universities for the common good</h2>
<p>It becomes impossible to implement proctoring software if the conception of the university is that it is a social structure that contributes powerful, principled knowledge in service of people and the planet.</p>
<p>Such a social structure would need to expend significant energy in inducting students into their role as knowledge creators and encouraging them to take on this identity responsibly. This would require shifts in how academics interact with students and articulate the purpose of a higher education to students and the public. It would also require a rethink of the form and function of assessment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188327/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sioux McKenna does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Proctoring software is a symptom of a bigger problem: universities see themselves as businesses and students as customers.Sioux McKenna, Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University & Visiting Research Professor in Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Rhodes UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1843202022-06-13T20:03:32Z2022-06-13T20:03:32ZOnline and in-person exams both have problems – that’s now clear. Unis have a window of opportunity to do better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467939/original/file-20220609-18-q6i7va.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3531%2C2194&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The pandemic pushed universities to launch or accelerate plans for delivering examinations online. These forced transitions have often been painful, <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-has-the-joy-of-working-in-australian-universities-gone-184251">involving stress and burnout</a>. Exams have been a big pain point. </p>
<p>There are many accounts from the pandemic of widespread cheating in online exams. These range from <a href="https://crumplab.com/articles/blog/post_994_5_26_22_cheating/index.html">the amusing</a> to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/27/1031255390/reports-of-cheating-at-colleges-soar-during-the-pandemic">the depressing</a>. Regardless, cheating creates problems for everyone involved. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/unis-are-using-artificial-intelligence-to-keep-students-sitting-exams-honest-but-this-creates-its-own-problems-170708">Unis are using artificial intelligence to keep students sitting exams honest. But this creates its own problems</a>
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<p>We do need to understand students’ achievements to effectively determine, plan and support student learning. Assessment is meant to inform this understanding. </p>
<p>Exams are high-stakes opportunities for generating big “chunks” of evidence of student achievement. Cheating invalidates this evidence, which has a knock-on at individual, course and program levels. </p>
<p>Academic program reviews, for example, are often guided by analyses of that year’s exam results. Exam data help staff make changes to the program. If a significant percentage of exam scores result from cheating, this can lead to misjudgments about the curriculum and missteps in designing future exams. </p>
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<h2>What happened during the pandemic?</h2>
<p>It’s understandable, then, why many universities have embraced <a href="https://www.autoproctor.co/">remote proctoring</a>. This involves the use of artificial intelligence software to identify and monitor students during exams. The value proposition of remote proctoring is that it easily allows us to replicate virtually the security of an in-person, seated, invigilated exam, wherever our students may be. It seemed like a solution custom-made for the pandemic. </p>
<p>There is some evidence of remote proctoring <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958820300336">working as intended</a>. However, we must also consider emerging concerns. </p>
<p>Many students have been hostile to what they see as <a href="https://theconversation.com/unis-are-using-artificial-intelligence-to-keep-students-sitting-exams-honest-but-this-creates-its-own-problems-170708">inappropriate surveillance practices</a>. There are concerns about universities’ uncritical <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/technology/college-students-cheating-software-honorlock.html">accusations of cheating</a> in “flagged” cases generated by monitoring software. </p>
<p>On the faculty side, it’s becoming clear that remote proctoring does <a href="https://theconversation.com/online-exam-monitoring-is-now-common-in-australian-universities-but-is-it-here-to-stay-159074">not necessarily lead to less work</a> for staff. It may even increase exam-related workload. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/anu-will-invigilate-exams-using-remote-software-and-many-students-are-unhappy-137067">ANU will invigilate exams using remote software, and many students are unhappy</a>
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<p>Working in educational assessment for two decades has taught me that cheating on exams is a serious, complex issue. It <a href="https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/53333/978-3-030-83255-1.pdf?sequence=1#page=80">defies easy solutions</a>. </p>
<p>Remote proctoring will <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_esUX8qSmI">likely continue to have a role to play</a>. It’s essential, however, that we <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/PhillipDawson3/the-remote-proctored-exams-dilemma">define that role critically and carefully</a>. </p>
<h2>So why not go back to the old ways?</h2>
<p>With enrolments growing and in-person teaching resuming, it’s tempting to return to familiar exam practices. Bringing back traditional examinations, however, invites back other <a href="https://ie-today.co.uk/features/are-exams-fit-for-purpose/">well-documented, chronic problems</a>.</p>
<p>Orchestrating mass, in-person exams presents a huge challenge. Assuring relevance of traditional exams to modern competencies is also problematic. </p>
<p>It’s worth asking ourselves: how satisfied were we really with pre-pandemic exam practices?</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Invigilator walks among students sitting an exam" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467938/original/file-20220609-17-6oerhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Traditional in-person inviligated exams are anything but perfect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Out of the many ways we engage learners in higher education, assessment is typically the slowest area to change. As exams are high-stakes, it is unsurprising that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260790313_Patterns_of_resistance_in_managing_assessment_change">exams are quite change-resistant</a>. </p>
<p>We are therefore presented with an unusual and timely opportunity. Right now, there is a strong push for systemic improvement of learning, <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/hub/jisc/p/how-has-coronavirus-accelerated-future-assessment">including better assessment</a>. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-has-changed-students-needs-and-expectations-how-do-universities-respond-172863">COVID has changed students' needs and expectations. How do universities respond?</a>
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<p>Let me suggest two connected ways forward on better exam practices. These are not axiomatic instructions. Instead, these are some resource-supported ways to open dialogues within institutions and teaching teams for exploring sensible solutions for them and their students.</p>
<h2>Make scholarly decisions</h2>
<p>Scholarship informs our disciplines. It must also inform assessment within our disciplines. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/learning-teaching/professional-learning-services/scholarship-of-learning-teaching">Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)</a> in higher education is not new. In my experience, SoTL or SoLT has often de-emphasised or failed to include assessment, as the popular forms of the acronym suggest. </p>
<p>Increasingly, we need to embrace <a href="https://u.osu.edu/copoeis/scholarship-of-teaching-and-learning/">SoLTA</a>, that is, scholarship that includes and promotes evidence- and research-supported assessment practices. Embracing SoLTA involves becoming deeply familiar with the best research in assessment and examination practices in higher education and disciplinary contexts. This includes informing practice through consulting highly reputable journals like <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/caeh20/current">Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education</a>. </p>
<p>As with our disciplines, we should see ourselves not just as consumers of knowledge but creators, too. This presents an opportunity for universities to <a href="https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=2476513">support teachers in applying scholarship to teaching</a>, including teaching-focused academics.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-point-of-assessment-in-higher-education-anyway-32095">What is the point of assessment in higher education anyway?</a>
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<h2>Don’t reject exams, make them better</h2>
<p>Exploring alternatives to exams is sound general advice, but doing so isn’t always feasible. Programs often have rational imperatives for keeping exams in place, including expectations of external accrediting bodies. In these cases, it’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-do-away-with-exams-altogether-no-but-we-need-to-rethink-their-design-and-purpose-67647">better to seek improvement</a>, rather than alternatives, to exams. </p>
<p>One route to improvement is adopting <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3341944/closed-book-to-open-book-exam_final.pdf">good open-book exam practices</a>. For exams with multiple-choice questions, there are <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3430648/multiple-choice-questions_final.pdf">solid guidelines for enhancing these</a>. There are even approaches allowing multiple-choice questions to <a href="https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/">elicit cognitively complex responses</a>.</p>
<p>Two key problems I have found in online exam practices are students using search engines to look up answers, and collusion. One way to resolve the first issue is <a href="https://le.unimelb.edu.au/news/articles/case-based-questions-in-assessment-tasks">adopting case-based approaches</a> that use novel material generated specifically for the exam. </p>
<p>Collusion is a tougher nut to crack, but some people are adopting new approaches to doing so. These include <a href="https://aall.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CIS-S2-Session-2-Charles-Sevigny-Apr-2021.pdf">running exams divided into sections</a>, with collaboration an anticipated and welcome part of the process. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-learning-has-changed-the-way-students-work-we-need-to-change-definitions-of-cheating-too-163001">Online learning has changed the way students work — we need to change definitions of ‘cheating’ too</a>
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<h2>Business as usual isn’t good enough</h2>
<p>Changing assessment is challenging. Higher stakes mean bigger challenges and greater resistance. As universities find their post-pandemic footing, we have a window of opportunity in which we know we must change. </p>
<p>This allows us to answer the question: what’s next for exams? Clinging to new and hastily adopted practices provides an unsatisfying answer. A return to business as usual is no better. </p>
<p>Instead, let’s adopt a scholarship-informed approach to developing our exams and ourselves to better meet an uncertain and challenging post-pandemic future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184320/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Several linked resources in this article are hosted by The University of Melbourne and University of South Australia. I was employed by The University of Melbourne from 2019-2021 and I am currently employed by University of South Australia. I am an author of or contributor to several linked resources. Authorship and contributions are clearly identified in each resource. </span></em></p>When COVID forced exams online, reports of cheating were rife and proctoring software was problematic. But in-person exams are also flawed, so now’s the time to rethink how assessment works.Christopher Charles Deneen, Associate Professor & Enterprise Research Fellow in Education Futures, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1626732021-06-29T15:33:51Z2021-06-29T15:33:51ZKenyan universities face big challenges going digital. But it can be done<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407410/original/file-20210621-22-d0p7ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kenya's universities face huge challenges going digital</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> i_am_zews/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As an academic working at a university in Kenya, I’ve witnessed at first hand the massive disruptions to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is not unique to Kenya. Universities in neighbouring <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/covid-19-uganda-lockdown-3442590">Uganda</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/gov_user_upload/Publications/Cabinet_Resolutions/Cabinet_Communique_-01-04-2020_.pdf">Rwanda</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-has-dealt-a-blow-to-ethiopias-private-higher-education-institutions-153398">Ethiopia</a> are similarly affected. </p>
<p>Kenya <a href="https://www.cue.or.ke/images/phocadownload/Accredited_Universities_Kenya_June2021.pdf">has over</a> 70 universities, 38 of them public and 35 private. Over 500,000 students were enrolled in the last academic year. Public universities took the lion’s share <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1135785/university-enrollment-in-kenya/">with over 400,000</a> of these students. </p>
<p>While public universities are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059316300736">challenged</a> by overcrowding, inadequate numbers of lecturers and degraded facilities, private ones have lower student to staff ratios and have better facilities and equipment.</p>
<p>But all universities have been affected by the pandemic. An entire year of learning was <a href="https://www.education.go.ke/index.php/downloads/category/22-circulars">lost</a> due to government closure and universities were forced to quickly transition to e-learning, for which they weren’t prepared.</p>
<p>E-learning has its own challenges too. Courses that require student practicals – such as the natural, health and physical sciences – have been heavily disrupted. They rely on the physical demonstration of concepts, for example through laboratory training, fieldwork and academic trips to industries.</p>
<p>Exams also went online. For institutions that attempted this, the outcome <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/the-standard-insider/article/2001372730/online-teaching-turns-into-nightmare-for-universities">was telling</a>. Many students <a href="https://uasunational.or.ke/2020/09/01/why-mku-online-exam-failure-should-serve-as-a-lesson-to-other-institutions/">didn’t</a> register, couldn’t access the portal and failed to upload their scripts. They complained of poor network connectivity, high cost of data and a lack of stable power supply and <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2020070108564996">infrastructure</a> to conduct the exams virtually. </p>
<p>Invigilation was also challenging. My university required students to switch on their webcams and speakers to prevent cheating. Due to these challenges, some universities were forced to offer special exams and even revert to <a href="https://web.newvisionapp.com/articledetails/83328">physical examinations</a>. </p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going away any time soon. It’s expected that restrictions to learning will continue and that students will have to work from home.</p>
<p>Though Kenya’s universities face huge challenges going digital, they must quickly adapt and become innovative so that they achieve their targets with minimal disruptions. </p>
<h2>What’s needed</h2>
<p>There is an urgent need for a fresh approach to the current teaching and learning models. Universities can reduce digital disruptions through delivery of interactive content and accessible courses through learning management systems. </p>
<p>The government should provide tax incentives to allow universities and students to access subsidised data bundles and provide more funds for infrastructure development. This includes good electricity connections.</p>
<p>Universities need to provide effective and efficient <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00766-018-0299-9">digital platforms</a> that support virtual learning. In addition, online modules <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kirti-Menon/publication/343501284_In_search_of_the_%27new_normal%27_Reflections_on_teaching_and_learning_during_Covid-19_in_a_South_African_university/links/5f2d2f7d299bf13404ab9ec1/In-search-of-the-new-normal-Reflections-on-teaching-and-learning-during-Covid-19-in-a-South-African-university.pdf">should be</a> easy enough for students to follow, provide learning guides, offer assignments and give feedback to users.</p>
<p>Finally, <a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/p/130284/">the use of</a> basic technology, software and applications – such as WhatsApp, e-mail, Zoom, FaceTime and Blackboard – that allow asynchronous participation and teleconference facilities must be used to improve the e-learning experience. </p>
<h2>The challenges</h2>
<p>But Kenyan universities face an uphill battle. </p>
<p>In Kenya, internet connectivity is still low. <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-kenya?rq=kenya">Only 40%</a> of the population uses the internet. A recent survey in 12 universities found just 19,000 out of 500,000 students enrolled for <a href="http://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/2491/2016_Nyerere_ODL-Kenya.pdf?sequence=1">open and distance learning</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1250436.pdf">Only a handful</a> of universities have well developed IT infrastructure and the personnel to manage such systems.</p>
<p>The country also suffers from frequent <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.ELC.OUTG?locations=KE">power outages</a>.
This is aggravated by lack of standby generators or alternative sources of power. With no power, no work can be done. During the online exams in my institution, a prolonged power blackout led to the postponement of an entire examination session. </p>
<p>For online learning to be successful, massive investments are needed in digital platforms, cloud-based systems and automation. The existing IT infrastructure needs an <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/opinion-analysis/columnists/why-e-learning-has-a-promising-future-in-kenya-2290200">upgrade in capacity</a>. The investments in digital infrastructure should go hand in hand with the retraining of staff. </p>
<p>A huge hurdle in achieving all of this is the funding gaps. </p>
<p>Public universities are grappling with a decline in funding. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the higher education budget was <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/varsities-face-deeper-cash-sh4bn-budget-cut-3291236">reduced</a> by US$37 million. </p>
<p>Government <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/state-deepens-austerity-with-sh100bn-budget-cuts-2276662">austerity measures</a>, staff <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/education/article/2001396298/mass-layoffs-in-varsities-loom">layoffs</a>, a freeze on <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-09-30-government-freezes-public-service-hiring-for-three-years/">employment</a> and increased student enrolment will further strain the universities’ finances. Private universities are equally struggling with lower student numbers.</p>
<p>Universities have to adapt and explore alternative ways of raising funds and cutting costs. </p>
<h2>Way forward</h2>
<p>The good news is that, though it’ll initially be an investment to get the online ecosystem up to scratch, the adoption of online teaching can reduce costs and increase financial resources. For instance, more students can enrol for programmes, thus increasing <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-south-african-vice-chancellors-paint-a-post-covid-picture-for-universities-143490">income for universities</a>.</p>
<p>In developing programmes, it’s also important to remember that a one-size-fits-all approach in e-learning will not work. Students come from diverse economic backgrounds and different remote geographic locations. Online platforms should be customised to meet these constraints. For instance, South Africa has many educational sites that <a href="https://www.dhet.gov.za/SiteAssets/05%20June%202020%20zero-rate%20publication.pdf">allow access to all students</a>. An encouraging step in Kenya is the provision of discounted data bundles to <a href="https://www.kenet.or.ke/content/kenet-launches-discounted-bundles-promote-e-learning">support e-learning</a>. </p>
<p>A blended approach – involving a mix of physical and online learning – could be a good solution. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University in Kenya, where I work, has implemented a <a href="http://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/3780/2021_Abeka_Dwada_Blended_Course_Experience_JOOUST_Report.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">blended learning approach</a> – where traditional classroom training is complemented by online learning. This involved the customisation of the university digital platform with <a href="https://moodle.org/">Moodle</a>, an online learning management system. Lecturers and students were then trained on how to use it. I found that it was very beneficial to the faculty and students are performing well. </p>
<p>For online examinations and assessments, software – like <a href="https://web.respondus.com/he/lockdownbrowser/">Respondus LockDown Browser</a> – should be used to secure the exam environment. This identifies candidates, detects voices, stops printing, copying, visiting another URL and accessing other applications, and prevents the user from exiting a quiz until it is submitted for grading.</p>
<p>Public-private partnerships should be used so that students can access affordable data and good devices. For instance, the South African government <a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/technology/431856/730000-laptops-to-be-given-to-south-african-students-for-online-learning/">has issued a tender</a> for the mass supply of laptops for students. Universities should also leverage their connections to provide students with subsidised software, laptops and data as seen at the <a href="https://mg.co.za/article/2020-04-01-uct-to-loan-some-students-laptops-during-covid-19-lockdown/">University of Cape Town</a>. </p>
<p>Crucially, higher learning institutions must develop their digital infrastructure. This must go hand in hand with securing stable power sources and backup systems to provide an uninterrupted e-learning environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/162673/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shehu Shagari Awandu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going away any time soon. Kenya’s universities must adapt.Shehu Shagari Awandu, Head/Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1630012021-06-22T19:01:31Z2021-06-22T19:01:31ZOnline learning has changed the way students work — we need to change definitions of ‘cheating’ too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407558/original/file-20210621-35190-15ga6bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C10%2C6679%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As university students wait on their mid-year exam results, some will no doubt be thinking about more than just passing. Since COVID-19 pushed teaching and testing online last year, the issue of cheating has come into sharper focus.</p>
<p>Recent reports of University of Auckland students allegedly <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/university-of-auckland-cheating-claims-prolific-abuse-of-online-exams-by-students-on-group-calls/PFV5YZ7DNWM5B6LFUWTEKJEEJ4/">cheating in online exams</a> highlighted the potential for dishonesty in a trust-based system. </p>
<p>But the problem also highlights a tension between cultures: the increasingly online world of higher education, and the everyday world of students.</p>
<p>This has made “cheating” in exams a more complex and evolving question than it once was. It also has implications for the credibility and value of university education and how we perceive student learning. </p>
<p>Traditionally, entry to university exams was controlled using student identity card photo checks. Set in large rooms, exams were invigilated to ensure students couldn’t communicate with each other in order to cheat. </p>
<p>Everyone had their place, and what students could take into the room was described and restricted. Teachers set the exams, the students sat them, exams were marked and final grades given — simple enough.</p>
<p>COVID-19 changed all that. For institutions where “blended” (face-to-face and online) <a href="https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/blended-flipped-learning/blended-learning-integrating-online-and-face-to-face-courses/">learning</a> had already been integrated, the digital switch was not so dramatic. But teachers and students who relied on paper-based or face-to-face teaching and learning faced something of a crisis: how to integrate existing practices with new technology.</p>
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<h2>A rushed revolution</h2>
<p>Of course, the adjustment wasn’t equal. While some teachers and many students could quickly grab the latest device, connect to wi-fi and carry on, others struggled to access workable devices and internet connections.</p>
<p>Universities, teachers and students had to engage with software that couldn’t cope. Meanwhile, new software was evolving as fast as COVID. We shouldn’t be surprised if the university behemoth struggled to adapt or change fast enough. </p>
<p>Often, paper-based exams were simply transferred into online learning systems with little restructuring to suit the changed circumstances. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-worry-about-cancelled-exams-research-shows-we-should-switch-to-teacher-assessment-permanently-134709">Don't worry about cancelled exams – research shows we should switch to teacher assessment permanently</a>
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<p>Incidences of cheating didn’t appear as prevalent at the end of 2020’s first trimester/semester — possibly because everyone was caught on the hop by what was happening.</p>
<p>However, students have shown they can cope with rapid change. Resourceful and adaptable, they have created their own ways of working and systems for information exchange. They form remote and close study groups, work collaboratively and draw on each other’s strengths. </p>
<p>Essentially, they are demonstrating the innovative, adaptable <a href="https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/NELP-TES-documents/FULL-TES-2020.pdf">learning skills</a> our education system and future employers expect of them. So why should we be surprised if students apply the same approach to online examinations?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="overhead view of students on digital devices around a table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/407560/original/file-20210621-27-1iu4imu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Collaboration or cheating? Students have demonstrated the innovative, adaptable learning skills employers value.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<h2>Encouraging collaboration</h2>
<p>Universities often struggle to explain to students why academic integrity is important (the University of Otago <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/study/academicintegrity/">being an exception</a>). Unfortunately, most university policies conflate academic integrity and academic misconduct. </p>
<p>We would argue that <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about/ako/academic-quality/academic-integrity/guidance-for-student/faq/">definitions of collusion</a> as “working with others when it is not a group assignment” and “providing information to other students” are out of step with the new teaching and learning environment and its expectations. </p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-exam-monitoring-can-invade-privacy-and-erode-trust-at-universities-149335">Online exam monitoring can invade privacy and erode trust at universities</a>
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<p>Furthermore, we know learning collaboratively encourages higher-order understanding — yet the current environment continues to require individual assessment of students.</p>
<p>If education systems and teachers can’t provide specific guidance about preparing for and sitting online exams, what are the grounds for accusations of cheating? These grey areas reflect the generally opaque nature of the post-COVID world. </p>
<p>Specifically, what exactly is wrong with students discussing problems, proposing solutions and presenting their own interpretation as their answer? </p>
<h2>Exams must evolve</h2>
<p>In the networked world, the line between what is original and what is adapted is more blurred every day. It isn’t always possible to decide what is original and unique in order to give it individual credit. </p>
<p>If exams are designed to assess higher-order cognitive development – demonstrating individual ability to synthesise and apply knowledge – surely collaboration can be the vehicle for what educationalist John Biggs calls deeper learning. Can’t examination practices change to capture this?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-unis-eye-more-instagram-worthy-campus-experiences-they-shouldnt-treat-online-teaching-as-a-cheap-and-easy-option-156585">As unis eye more ‘Instagram-worthy’ campus experiences, they shouldn't treat online teaching as a cheap and easy option</a>
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<p>Rather than universities continuing to define student activities via traditional regulation, perhaps instead educators need to think strategically to tap into this new student energy. </p>
<p>University exams need to check for individual (or collective) application, evaluation and synthesis of knowledge, not just rote learning and recall of study notes. </p>
<p>It is evident the tertiary environment is evolving and students have demonstrated their creativity in banding together to solve problems in a modern way. Now is the time for examiners and exams to get smarter, too. </p>
<p>Traditional ways of operating are behind us. We need to keep moving forward — away from the comfortable and into the confusing jungle of synthesised, regenerated and expanding knowledge.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163001/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Recent allegations of cheating by university students in online exams suggest the students are adapting faster than the education system itself – and that should change.Linda Rowan, University Teaching Consultant, Massey UniversityFiona Murray, Teaching Consultant, Massey UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1530402021-02-26T15:22:38Z2021-02-26T15:22:38ZGCSE and A-level teacher assessments: benefits of replacing exams undermined by lack of transparency<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386694/original/file-20210226-17-z9gv2m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C8%2C5973%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teacher-hand-holding-red-pen-checking-1388901272">NuPenDekDee/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In January, UK education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that GCSE and A-level exams in England would <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/06/gcse-a-levels-and-sats-exams-to-be-scrapped-in-england-this-year">not go ahead</a>. Now, Williamson has outlined <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021">further information</a> about how assessments for pupils will take place.</p>
<p>Teachers’ judgements will be at the heart of grading decisions this year, based on a range of possible assessment methods including coursework, mock exams, essays and in-class tests.</p>
<p>Williamson emphasised that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021">fairness</a> and trust in teachers will be central to the assessment approach. Teachers will also have the option to use a common set of questions based on past exams and prepared by exam boards – but these, along with guidance and marking criteria, will not be available until the end of March. </p>
<h2>Mixed messages</h2>
<p>The use of a range of assessment methods is to be commended. It reflects the fact that different methods can suit different students, while also giving all students a richer variety of ways to demonstrate their achievements. The involvement of teachers in assessment is also welcome, because teaching, learning and assessment are not separate activities, but are very much dependent on one another. </p>
<p>What’s more, the government has stated that there will be a quality assurance process undertaken by exam boards to ensure consistency across schools and to identify malpractice. And this process will not be based on an algorithm like last year’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/gavin-williamson-ofqual-and-the-great-a-level-blame-game-144766">disastrous attempt</a> at moderation, or <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000t3b2/house-of-commons-education-and-exams-statement?page=1">pegged to past results</a>.</p>
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<p>If this new quality assurance approach means that we are finally abandoning a <a href="https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=pare">norm-based system</a> of assessment in which results depend on where a student comes in a ranking, then this is also excellent news. It also does far more to allay concerns about so-called “grade inflation” than simply comparing grades between years, which may not take account of improved levels of attainment.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-from-exam-results-crisis-the-way-students-work-is-assessed-needs-to-change-144710">Learning from exam results crisis: the way students' work is assessed needs to change</a>
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<p>However, there are significant problems with the government’s approach to A-level and GCSE assessments in 2021. It has failed to be timely, and remains, even after today’s announcements, lacking in transparency.</p>
<p>Timeliness is essential to fair assessment, and students should know as early as possible how they will be assessed. It is incredibly out of date, and contrary to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0969594X.2014.898128">research on assessment</a> to disconnect assessment and learning. </p>
<p>Students should have an understanding of how they will be assessed as they learn, so the two processes can support one another. This is hard to achieve during a global pandemic, but the significant delay in cancelling exams in England, compared with earlier decisions in Scotland and Wales, has exacerbated the problem. </p>
<p>Second, timeliness is essential for teacher preparation. Again, research on assessment is clear that it is not only closely linked to learning, but <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0969594X.2018.1430685">also to teaching</a>. It is only reasonable that a teacher supporting a student’s preparation for an assessment should know how the assessment will be done. But the truly staggering aspect of the announcement is that teachers will not be given marking criteria, guidance or training from exam boards until the end of the spring term. </p>
<p>Timeliness and transparency are closely related. The lateness of government plans to reveal the details of both marking criteria and quality assurance processes seriously impairs the genuine and meaningful transparency of their approach. </p>
<p>It is perfectly appropriate that the “trust” in teachers is to be mediated by some quality assurance mechanism. But without explicit details of how this will be done, I remain concerned that exam boards are being given power without clear accountability. </p>
<h2>Focus on fairness</h2>
<p>Gavin Williamson has made very different claims about assessment fairness. He has stated that this year’s arrangements, based on teacher assessments, are all <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/teacher-assessed-grades-for-students">about fairness</a>. </p>
<p>However, in the period following last summer’s results crisis, the position of the UK government appeared to remain fixed on a view that exams, and exams alone, are the fairest form of assessment. Gavin Williamson repeatedly made this claim, even doing so even at the very moment he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/06/gcse-a-levels-and-sats-exams-to-be-scrapped-in-england-this-year">cancelled exams for 2021</a>. </p>
<p>This belief rests on assumptions rather than evidence, and reflects the way in which exams are often considered to be a neutral form of judging student ability. But no form of assessment is neutral, and all involve making choices between competing priorities.</p>
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<p>The problem with exams is that those who claim they are fair assume they are reliable, and that consistent marking is easier to achieve. But they are not considering whether exams are the best way to demonstrate particular knowledge and skills. The dominance of exams within the English system reflects highly politicised <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1111/eie.12110">values and judgements</a> rather than innate educational worth.</p>
<p>A central pillar of this year’s approach is to trust teachers and schools as the people who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/06/gcse-a-levels-and-sats-exams-to-be-scrapped-in-england-this-year">know their students best</a> – but this emphasis on teachers is at considerable odds with the government’s continuing focus on exam boards when making decisions. The government has been working with the exam boards, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000t3b2/house-of-commons-education-and-exams-statement?page=1">Williamson’s comments</a> in Parliament, while teachers are left waiting to find out what they will be required to do.</p>
<p>This year, the government may well be trying to do the best it can for A-level and GCSE students in very difficult circumstances. But entrenched assumptions and failures of timeliness and transparency significantly reduce our ability to judge whether or not a fair system has been put in place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153040/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan McArthur does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The UK government’s announcement on how students work will be graded is too little, too late.Jan McArthur, Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1530512021-01-12T14:51:14Z2021-01-12T14:51:14ZExams cancelled? Think like a university student to get ahead<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378276/original/file-20210112-17-1f3yxae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C0%2C4348%2C2909&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenager-boy-doing-homework-on-his-548250247">Slatan/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A-level exams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been cancelled, along with Highers in Scotland. It’s not yet clear what the replacement for these exams will look like, and many students may be feeling anxious or despondent about their prospects. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-level-and-gcse-cancellation-a-missed-opportunity-to-rethink-assessment-152846">some kind of assessment</a> will take place – so now is not the time to give up on studies and revision. One way for students to take control is to adopt <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Innovative-Assessment-in-Higher-Education-A-Handbook-for-Academic-Practitioners/Bryan-Clegg/p/book/9781138581197">university-style</a> ways of working. </p>
<p>This can help A-level and Highers students prepare for the potentially varied forms of assessment ahead, and will provide them with a head start if and when they make the transition to university. These tips will also help to maximise the skills that employers value.</p>
<h2>Collaborate</h2>
<p>University students – and lecturers – often work together, using online platforms such as <a href="https://trello.com/en">Trello</a>, <a href="https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/">Slack</a> and <a href="https://zoom.us/">Zoom</a>. A-level students can use their tech skills to set up a peer group on one of these platforms and arrange for each person to take it in turns to give a short overview of a topic they feel confident about. Asking questions means that knowledge on that topic will increase, both individually and collectively. </p>
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<img alt="Happy teenager waving at computer" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378279/original/file-20210112-15-rr3ud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Group work can help share knowledge and refine presentation skills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/attractive-happy-young-girl-student-studying-1674180094">Dean Drobot/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The chances are that someone will cover the area another person in the group lacks confidence in, so everyone benefits. This is exactly what happens in seminars and conferences, and is how people learn collectively and advance ideas.</p>
<h2>Be proactive</h2>
<p>Making small changes can lead to better grades. Students <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-things-new-students-need-to-know-before-tackling-a-university-assessment-121836">should reflect</a> on occasions when they got good marks, and review feedback from teachers to identify recurring weak points. Asking teachers for help in tackling these points can lead to quick wins. </p>
<h2>Communicate</h2>
<p>While the exact form of the upcoming assessments are unknown, they are likely to involve writing, such as essays and reports, and verbal communication techniques such as presentations. Communicating clearly when writing and speaking is vital to all of these assessments. </p>
<p>A good way to increase confidence in communication is to identify no more than three key points on a topic and present them in clear, simple language. Practice explaining why things happen and why they matter. Communication doesn’t have to be in essay form. It can be as a blog, on video, as a slidedeck with pictures – the point is to convey a message clearly. </p>
<h2>Play to your strengths</h2>
<p>We learn and take in information in different ways. Some people like reading a newspaper, others watch the news on TV. Personally I prefer the radio. Recognising our <a href="https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/">learning preferences</a> can be helpful in identifying why we find learning some things easier than others. </p>
<p>Those who take in visual information most easily could make use of coloured pens and try creating a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch/u5Y4pIsXTV0">mind map</a> as a revision tool or study plan. Others who prefer creative writing could use a reflective log or diary to note key points, phrases and how they feel about them. </p>
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<p>It helps to vary the format: write a haiku or limerick about Trump’s presidency, for instance. And don’t dismiss this as ridiculous. PhD students take part in activities such as “<a href="https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/bake-your-thesis-2020/">bake your PhD</a>”, presenting their research in cake form, or <a href="https://www.vitae.ac.uk/events/three-minute-thesis-competition">three-minute thesis</a> competitions, where they present their work in a very short space of time. Activities like these provide a way for students to creatively explain ideas in simple ways.</p>
<h2>Make use of varied resources</h2>
<p>Watching television and playing games can contribute to learning. A-level students can make use of the new <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach">BBC resources</a>. Watching TV shows such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137552952_10">Blackadder</a> can help in thinking about history. Even Fortnite and e-games can help – they require the verbalisation of precise instructions and quick decision-making. </p>
<p>Another option is to practise debating – taking a stance on an issue and defending it with evidence-based arguments. This could take place among friends or family and cover any topic, serious or silly. It is a skill that is very important at university.</p>
<h2>Be compassionate</h2>
<p>This is a very difficult time for school students. It’s important to remember to take breaks, get fresh air and reward hard work, such as putting together study notes on a difficult topic or completing the questions in a past exam paper.</p>
<p>If we have learnt anything this last year, it is that we need young people who are flexible, resilient, creative, articulate and able to solve problems. Now is the time for them to hone their skills and prepare to help change the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153051/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Clegg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Take part in collaborative working and play to your strengths.Karen Clegg, Head of Research Excellence Training, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1528462021-01-08T17:12:24Z2021-01-08T17:12:24ZA-level and GCSE cancellation: a missed opportunity to rethink assessment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377764/original/file-20210108-21-1ph6qwn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5190%2C2470&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/various-views-exam-examination-room-hall-1472619335">Lincoln Beddoe/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>GCSE and A-level exams in England <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-gcse-and-a-level-exams-to-be-replaced-by-teacher-assessments-in-england-this-summer-12180579">have been cancelled</a>, opening the door to a repeat of the confusion that marked the award of grades in 2020. </p>
<p>The cancellation of exams in March 2020 in England was followed by the realisation that an algorithm created to moderate the data provided by schools had led to significant reduction in final grades for many thousands of students. This debacle led to a crisis in <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-level-debacle-has-shattered-trust-in-educational-assessment-144640">public trust</a> in national testing systems in England.</p>
<p>The students most likely to be disadvantaged by this method of grade awarding were from the poorest backgrounds. Within a few days of the results being announced, the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, instead decided that <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gcse-and-a-level-students-to-receive-centre-assessment-grades">centre assessed grades</a> – predictions based on evidence from teachers – be awarded to pupils instead. </p>
<h2>A chance missed</h2>
<p>The algorithm crisis presented an opportunity: to really start looking hard at our national assessment systems, and to confront the reality that exams are <a href="https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/embedding-formative-assessment/">not always the best way</a> to test knowledge, skills and understanding. </p>
<p>Resting all our confidence on a single measure is what led to that distressing episode. It was perhaps expected that there might be some reconsideration of how we best assess educational achievement in our schools. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-from-exam-results-crisis-the-way-students-work-is-assessed-needs-to-change-144710">Learning from exam results crisis: the way students' work is assessed needs to change</a>
</strong>
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<p>However, this reassessment has not taken place. Once again, the government insisted that exams <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/03/gavin-williamson-vows-a-levels-and-gcses-will-not-be-cancelled-in-england-covid">would go ahead</a> in England – even <a href="https://theconversation.com/wales-cancels-2021-a-level-and-gcse-exams-other-uk-nations-should-follow-suit-148884">after their cancellation</a> in Wales and Scotland – only to later cancel them. Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: “It is not <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/gcse-alevel-exams-cancelled-schools-lockdown-b683495.html">possible or fair</a> for all exams to go ahead this summer,” when announcing national lockdown measures, <a href="https://youtu.be/Q3XnPK-kIoA">including the closure of schools</a>, on January 4. </p>
<p>The statement from exams regulator <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a-message-from-simon-lebus-chief-regulator-on-exams-in-2021">Ofqual</a>, which followed on January 6, was equally disappointing. The regulator’s plea to students to “please continue to engage as fully as you can in your education” has a hollow ring to it given the extent to which the entire secondary education system in England is dominated by examination outcomes. </p>
<p>Teachers and students across the country face many uncertain weeks ahead with scant guidance for teaching and learning – the announcement provided no further ideas of what the public should expect. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1346872178453729281"}"></div></p>
<p>There has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/06/englands-school-chaos-deepens-as-gavin-williamson-unable-to-explain-exam">little indication</a> of what system will replace exams, beyond the assertion from Williamson that marks will be determined by teacher assessment. </p>
<p>This plan is misguided in the extreme. To develop, grade and moderate assessments that compare to a GCSE or A-level is a complex and skilled task. It is not something that can happen in a few months, let alone a few weeks. </p>
<h2>Varying standards</h2>
<p>In 2020, it became clear that there is significant variation in the evidence that individual schools have of student learning – practice assessments are conducted with different aims, and teachers set different classroom tasks. This means that attempting to standardise such evidence to meet a nationally recognised goal is impossible. </p>
<p>It is also easy to forget that while schools are attempting to address the issue of high-stakes exams, they are also expected to continue teaching and operating as close to normal as possible. The disruption of moving online and of staff shortages due to COVID-19 simply adds to the complexity of the challenge.</p>
<p>A pragmatic solution suggested <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-whats-best-solution-2021-gcses-and-levels">by former teacher Tom Richmond</a>, could be to offer a reduced range of exams at GCSE. The provision of just a few exams – perhaps only English and Maths and one or two other subjects – could provide enough evidence to direct students’ post-16 plans. Then, more resources and attention could be focused on providing structured support for those following vocational qualifications and A-level programmes of study. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Exam hall photograph cropped on arm of student writing on exam paper" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377766/original/file-20210108-15-j7sj2c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One option could be to reduce the number of exams.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/soft-focus-school-university-student-holding-704005726">panitanphoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, a lack of resources may prevent schools from taking this approach. School finances across the state sector are <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-funding-schools-lack-funding-69-extra-covid-costs">plagued by deficit</a>, particularly given how hard hit many have been by the unpredictable and continued cost of meeting COVID-19 safety measures. </p>
<p>There is no easy solution here – but there is one obvious issue. It seems that, as always, the students who will lose out in the race for grades will be those who lack the resources to work at home, and who might lack the support that helps them to stay engaged with their education. </p>
<p>Teachers are rarely dealing with a level playing field when putting together a picture of the individual achievements and potential of students. Poverty always has a significant impact on <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285389/Cm_8781_Child_Poverty_Evidence_Review_Print.pdf">student achievement</a>, both in school and in their results in high stakes tests in England. It is likely that 2021 will reveal a greater disparity between those who have and those who have not. These are testing times indeed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary Richardson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Teachers and students have been left uncertain of what to expect.Mary Richardson, Associate Professor in Educational Assessment, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1493352020-12-03T22:16:29Z2020-12-03T22:16:29ZOnline exam monitoring can invade privacy and erode trust at universities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372924/original/file-20201203-19-1mmrqiz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C87%2C4730%2C2882&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Testing and exam proctoring methods that invade privacy and erode trust undermine the very integrity that institutions demand students uphold.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The health risks posed by COVID-19 mean most Canadian university classes are <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/several-universities-announce-their-fall-plans-with-instruction-primarily-online/">online this year</a>. As a result, some students will write exams online via <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/05/11/online-proctoring-surging-during-covid-19">remote proctoring platforms</a> that surveil their activities. </p>
<p>These tools go by names like <a href="https://www.proctoru.com/">ProctorU</a>, <a href="https://www.examity.com/">Examity</a>, <a href="https://web.respondus.com/">Respondus</a> and <a href="https://proctorio.com/">Proctorio</a>, among others. Designed by for-profit tech startups, they
monitor students’ laptops, tablets or phones during the course of an exam. Proctoring tools can <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7wxvd/students-are-rebelling-against-eye-tracking-exam-surveillance-tools">monitor eye movements</a>, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21232777/examity-remote-test-proctoring-online-class-education">capture students’ keystrokes</a>, <a href="https://www.testinvite.com/lang/en/v2/product/administer-online-secure-exams-with-surveillance-proctoring-webcam-video-recording-screen-recording-lockdown-browser-to-prevent-cheating.html">record their screens</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/01/online-proctoring-college-exams-coronavirus/">track their searches</a> as well as their home environments and physical behaviours.</p>
<p>As an education technology scholar, I see institutions turning to online proctoring in the name of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380409605574">academic integrity</a>, to prevent cheating. But the risks of exchanging the four walls of the classroom for surveillance platforms <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/12/test-monitoring-student-revolt/">may be higher than many institutions bargained for</a>. </p>
<p>Testing and proctoring methods that invade privacy and erode trust end up undermining the very integrity that institutions demand students uphold. </p>
<h2>Consequences of being flagged by the tool</h2>
<p>Institutions pay proctoring services to address a core paradox of online learning: the internet puts a world of knowledge at learners’ fingertips, but schools tend to count using that knowledge as cheating.</p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.proctortrack.com/blog/article/how-ai-is-dropping-the-old-school-methods-of-learning/">proctoring</a> <a href="https://er.educause.edu/blogs/sponsored/2018/9/artificial-intelligence-in-online-proctoring-where-weve-been-where-we-are-and-where-were-going">vendors</a> use algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to flag <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tech-companies-promised-schools-an-easy-way-to-detect-cheaters-during-the-pandemic-students-responded-by-demanding-schools-stop-policing-them-like-criminals-in-the-first-place-/articleshow/78983806.cms">suspicious behaviour</a>. </p>
<p>Some also offer <a href="https://www.examity.com/live-proctoring/">human proctors</a> as an option <a href="https://www.proctoru.com/services/live-online-proctoring">in combination with AI</a>.</p>
<p>Tools that use eye tracking can flag students who fail to keep their eyes on the webcam or screen, even if the reason is <a href="https://hybridpedagogy.org/our-bodies-encoded-algorithmic-test-proctoring-in-higher-education/">autism or disability rather than cheating</a>. </p>
<p>In the all-seeing eye of the remote proctor, <a href="https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2020-11-19/editorials/online-proctoring-unfairly-punishes-cheaters-and-non-cheaters-alike/">all students become potential cheaters</a>. </p>
<p>Equity is also not a consideration for online proctoring. Some platforms use <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/remote-testing-monitored-ai-failing-students-forced-undergo-it-ncna1246769">discriminatory facial recognition technologies</a> that work poorly with darker skin, forcing students to sit for exams with <a href="https://www.insider.com/viral-tiktok-student-fails-exam-after-ai-software-flags-cheating-2020-10">bright lights shining in their faces</a> in order to be recognized by AI. </p>
<p>Others force students to verify their identity via government-issued ID, potentially <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/exam-surveillance-tools-remote-learning">outing trans</a> or undocumented learners. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hands at a keyboard" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372873/original/file-20201203-15-96kehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When COVID-19 forced institutions online, protests and stories began to emerge about the extremes that proctoring platforms can impose.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Control over students’ environments</h2>
<p>Even prior to the pandemic, some <a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-04-19-online-courses-shouldn-t-use-remote-proctoring-tools-here-s-why">higher education voices</a> had <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/05/10/online-exam-proctoring-catches-cheaters-raises-concerns">raised concerns</a> about proctoring platforms. When COVID-19 forced institutions online, protests and stories <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/09/students-are-pushing-back-against-proctoring-surveillance-apps">began to emerge</a> about the extremes these technologies can impose. </p>
<p>Some students were told to ensure <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/88anxg/students-have-to-jump-through-absurd-hoops-to-use-exam-monitoring-software">no one else in their home used the internet</a> during an exam, despite the fact that students may live together and take the same classes, or live at home with family members also working and learning online.</p>
<p>In the United Kingdom, some students reported resorting to wearing <a href="https://www.legalcheek.com/2020/08/proctoring-problems-bar-students-urinate-in-bottles-and-buckets-over-fears-online-exams-will-be-terminated/">adult diapers</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/TianJuinSee/status/1293369537660944385">urinating in bottles</a> in order to avoid having their assessments flagged or terminated. </p>
<p>In October, a new lawyer in New York went into labour in the middle of her bar exam, but did not <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/us/bar-exam-labor.html">leave her chair</a> for fear of being disqualified as a potential cheater.</p>
<p>And while robo-proctors’ algorithmic decision-making is at the core of most critiques, even the platforms that use human proctors <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/29/21232777/examity-remote-test-proctoring-online-class-education">can create anxiety</a> and harm for students sitting exams. </p>
<p>In August, a Muslim lawyer in the U.K. deferred her <a href="https://www.legalcheek.com/2020/08/bptc-student-forced-to-defer-exams-over-fears-shed-have-to-remove-headscarf-for-male-invigilator/">high-stakes bar exam</a> until December. She was told she’d have to partially remove her headscarf in order to validate her identity, but the platform refused to guarantee her a female proctor.</p>
<p>Some <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-concordia-university-students-petition-against-final-exams-proctored-via-webcam-1.4882522">students</a> in <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/exam-surveillance-software-university-ottawa-1.5633134">Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/technology/online-test-takers-feel-anti-cheating-softwares-uneasy-glare.html">elsewhere</a> have protested proctoring with petitions.</p>
<h2>Data privacy</h2>
<p>Platforms that collect biometric data — including students’ <a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202007/concerns-about-biometric-online-proctoring-expressed-by-students-in-australia-u-s-and-canada">unique facial and voice data</a> as well as behavioural data — as a condition of course completion put students at risk of <a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202011/data-breach-stirs-new-university-protests-about-proctoring-apps">data breaches</a>. </p>
<p>These risks are an extension of higher education’s <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/why-higher-ed-needs-data-ethics">data ethics gap</a>, and teach students that violation of their <a href="https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/data-privacy-looking-beyond-consent/">data privacy</a> is normal. </p>
<p>In a pandemic, the trade-off of data for access can feel like safety. When it comes to proctoring, though, students have no say in the trade-off they’re subjected to. One University of British Columbia student who tried to have his say about Proctorio found himself <a href="https://the-peak.ca/2020/07/proctorio-faces-backlash-after-ceo-breaches-privacy-of-ubc-student/">publicly addressed by its CEO</a>. </p>
<p>Remote proctoring gives corporate third parties a controlling hand in the academic integrity conversation between students and their institutions. </p>
<p>This is a breach of <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-outbreaks-at-universities-students-need-safe-places-to-socialize-not-partying-bans-145829">the duty of care</a> that universities owe students, and an abdication of higher education’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-017-0001-8">societal role</a> to create opportunity, not harm.</p>
<p>True, the contemporary web demands we click “Yes” to data collection as the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-isnt-a-right-you-can-click-away/">price of admission</a> to everything from recipe sites to banking apps. But higher education is where people go to learn to think critically about emergent challenges in society. </p>
<p>If universities demand students ignore data privacy concerns just to take tests, then which societal institution will teach us to value <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-personal-data-collection/">the new commodity that is our data</a>?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students walk on a sidewalk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372874/original/file-20201203-13-1tqeji0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Higher education has a social role to create opportunity, not harm. Here, students walk across campus at Western University in London, Ont., Sept. 19, 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Academia doesn’t need proctoring</h2>
<p>The truth is, higher education doesn’t need proctoring. </p>
<p>For over 25 years, the field of online learning has been about enabling students to contribute to the abundance of knowledge on the web. The internet can be a way to support learners to connect meaningfully while protecting communities from COVID-19. </p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tech-companies-promised-schools-an-easy-way-to-detect-cheaters-during-the-pandemic-students-responded-by-demanding-schools-stop-policing-them-like-criminals-in-the-first-place-/articleshow/78983806.cms">proctoring tools don’t serve those ends</a>. Timed, proctored tests value what students remember. Proctoring tools reinforce an
<a href="http://davecormier.com/edblog/2020/11/30/designing-school-when-students-have-the-teachers-copy/">approach to teaching and learning</a> that is all about memorization.</p>
<p>Is memorization really a valid educational reason for risking privacy, well-being, and tight university budgets in a world where students will spend most of their lives with Google in their pockets?</p>
<p>Students might be better served by <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/88ag8z/colleges-say-they-dont-need-exam-surveillance-tools-to-stop-cheating">alternative approaches to assessment</a> that focus on how they synthesize, apply and interpret information at their fingertips. </p>
<p>Rather than spending on remote proctoring, institutional funds could be re-allocated to hire more educators and reduce class sizes. Large classes make it challenging to evaluate learning without resorting to multiple choice testing. Some faculty might also benefit from added invigilation support, or grading support. All of this can be accomplished without automation or invasions of data privacy.</p>
<p>Academic integrity matters. But integrity works both ways. </p>
<p>As 2020 draws to a close, institutions need to be careful not to toss out the metaphorical baby of higher learning in order to hang on to the bathwater of high-stakes testing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149335/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bonnie Stewart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Equity and privacy problems with online proctoring reflect a larger issue: Students look to universities to set an example of integrity.Bonnie Stewart, Assistant Professor, Online Pedagogy & Workplace Learning, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1488842020-11-11T18:10:07Z2020-11-11T18:10:07ZWales cancels 2021 A-level and GCSE exams: other UK nations should follow suit<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368846/original/file-20201111-23-qj5hjj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5176%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-college-students-opening-exam-results-763468423">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The education minister for Wales, Kirsty Williams, has announced that Welsh school pupils will not take <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54888376">GCSE and A-level exams</a> in 2021. Instead, externally set and marked classroom assessments, which can be taken within a broad window of time, will be used to grade students. </p>
<p>Scotland has already made a similar decision for for its <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54423265">National 5 assessments</a> taken by 15 and 16 year olds, opting for teacher assessment instead – although Higher and Advanced Higher exams will go ahead, a fortnight later than usual.</p>
<p>In Northern Ireland, exams will be <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-54482867">pushed back a week</a>, with most GCSEs dropping a module to account for lost learning time.</p>
<p>Exams will also <a href="https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/10/13/delay-to-2021-exams-your-questions-answered/">still go ahead</a> in England. Most of these will take place three weeks later than usual, with no slimming down of curricula but with some changes to the format of assessments.</p>
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<p>This year, governments should use more flexible forms of assessment such as classroom assessment, which provide a greater choice of topics, to take into account the uneven access to education that students have faced during lockdown. </p>
<p>England and Northern Ireland should follow Wales’s lead and use externally marked classroom assessment for GCSEs and A-levels in 2021.</p>
<h2>A fair test?</h2>
<p>The UK Department for Education’s insistence that “exams are the <a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-09-07/debates/CE3C3B5F-B559-4438-9D95-8FB5BA0E634A/TestingMarkingAndExaminationSystems">best and fairest</a> way of judging students’ performance” reflects a narrow and outdated view of test fairness.</p>
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<p>My <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2018.1409964?scroll=top&needAccess=true">research</a> with GCSE students has shown that students see choice in assessment as a key element of test fairness. Students in the study thought that a choice of options should be available, as different students would benefit from different routes. For them, a fair test was one that enabled all students to show their knowledge and skills. </p>
<p>This aligns with <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1435455?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">recent theories</a> of test fairness, which suggest that tests should be designed to enable all students to perform well. As a result, alternative forms of assessment such as coursework and practical assessments, which aim to capture the knowledge and skills of all students, have become more widely used in many countries.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students in uniform sitting in exam hall facing away" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368843/original/file-20201111-21-1ubaii.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exams are not necessarily the fairest way of assessing students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/anonymous-students-uniform-sitting-exam-online-1501419359">Lincoln Beddoe/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A problem with the “one size fits all” approach of exams is that students have very different educational experiences. Working-class children have fared <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/british-education-still-selecting-and-rejecting-in-order-to-rear-an-elite/">much worse</a> under the Conservative government’s education reforms, so that there are now major inequalities in the <a href="https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/inequality-of-pedagogy-in-english-schools-how-significant-is-it">pedagogy</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2018.1409961">curriculum</a> offered to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>This year, these inequalities have been compounded by a global pandemic, which means that many of these children have not had their <a href="https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2020/06/15/how-the-covid-19-crisis-has-affected-childrens-right-to-an-education/">fundamental right to education</a> fulfilled. </p>
<p>When differences between children’s educational experiences become this vast, we must question whether assessments are really providing us with useful information that can be used to make valid comparisons between students. When this happens, flexibility must be built into the system to ensure that all students are able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. </p>
<h2>Contingency measures</h2>
<p>The UK government has not yet released details of the contingency measures it will use if the coronavirus pandemic forces exams to be cancelled again. However, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/10/plan-b-for-rigorous-mock-exams-to-avoid-rerun-of-a-level-fiasco">The Guardian reported</a> in October that schools in England will be required to hold “rigorous mocks” in case of exam cancellations.</p>
<p>There are several problems with this approach. If exams are cancelled and the mocks are used to determine grades, the assessment period will essentially have been brought forward by months, at a time when many students are struggling to catch up with last year’s courses. Mocks would also eat into scarce learning time and would potentially put students under even more pressure.</p>
<p>Classroom assessment is not a perfect solution. There will be concerns that students who have access to greater support at home will do better at these assessments, despite the fact that they are done in class. </p>
<p>There will also be anxiety about the narrowing of the curriculum to one or two course topics. But given the extraordinary circumstances this year, the priority must be to ensure that students are only assessed on content they have had an opportunity to learn. The best way of doing this is to set classroom assessment with a choice of tasks.</p>
<p>Classroom assessments can be rigorous. The full details of the new assessments in Wales have yet to be released, but they will be externally marked, to address concerns about how internal assessment <a href="https://www.runnymedetrust.org/blog/predicted-grades-bme-students-letter-to-ed-sec">may be biased</a> against particular groups. </p>
<p>If the UK government refuses to change course, students in England will end up with exam results that are simply not fit for purpose. The results will tell us more about the impact of COVID-19 upon students than about their subject knowledge and skills. </p>
<p>It would be hard to justify using these grades to make decisions about entry to universities and further education colleges. If they are used for these purposes, it will be the most disadvantaged students who lose out, once again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148884/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rhian Barrance is a member of Qualifications Wales's research advisory board.</span></em></p>Students must not be assessed on course material that they haven’t had the opportunity to learn.Rhian Barrance, Lecturer in Education, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.