Here is a listserv that John suggested might be a great place to post soem
of our general questions: http://omerad.msu.edu/dr-ed/index.html
From 2006 CRIME meeting:
6. Online High-Stakes Exams
<Group Discussion>
Stanford uses WebCT for some final exams and for some clerkship SHELF-like exams. Otherwise just for quizzing and self-tests.
UCLA distributes block exams with the Angel CMS. They use randomized questions from a question databank. Faculty appreciate that exams are graded automatically and easily. Internet explorer is controlled during exam by a plugin tool that doesn't allow them to leave anything within Angel site
Drew uses Angel LMS for online exams.
UC Davis uses a home-grown system from the 90's for quizzing. For an exam lab, they set up 50 portable computers in a lecture hall and students come in 2 waves.
UCSD is constructing a new building and they hope to set up an exam room where administrators can watch all students taking the exam, using video screens etc.
Colorado does testing in a home-grown system.
UCSF uses WebCT for 4 hour essay exams in surgery clerkship but they're moving to a SHELF exam. Students write 8 of 10 cases. Paper exams are scanned into a scantron machine and scores are presented to students in WebCT. For integrated exams they split questions up by topic. Version 4 of questionmark is supposed to work for high-stakes exams, but the software is generally only currently use for quizzes.
General thoughts:
? students logging in all at once causes server blowout
? do students log in for the online exam at a certain time or is it an open timeframe?
? Online exams- students don't know how much to write into the text box. The visual cue of paper allows you to limit the amount of space. It took students about twice as long. Added a wordcount button to count the words.
Benefits of electronic exams
? Using questions in other ways
? Feedback on questions
? Online exams allow you to present a rubric or best-answer for graders of essay questions
? Automated essay grading
Drawbacks of electronic exams
? In middle of exams, it's critical to have a support person immediately available. Servers go down.
? Difficult to find a facility for testing of all students at one time.
? Lack visual cues of paper for estimating how much to write for an essay (see above)
...