My mother actually works at an institution that does an online Master of Medical Sciences degree online, but the institution mandates in the syllabus that the students must take the mid-term and final on the campus (they are a multi-part exams comprised of practicals and written components). This degree is specifially designed for physician assistants, nurses, and physical therapists who wish to pursue a master's degree. In short, these people have medical careers and find it difficult to get onto campus for their exams; however, this is what they signed up for. Yes, an online exam would be more convenient, but ultimately in sacrificing the on-campus exams, the online degree would suffer because there are components of the instruction that cannot be assessed on a computer. Concepts can be tested utilizing the internet but practicals can not.
Lisa,
Good point - some programs (especially where there are specific licensing requirements) will need to use a mixed approach like this.
Thanks,
Jon
No It should be like they learned it.
I think that the scenerio type and essay questions are really the best way to go, it allows and forces the student to think and display what they've learned by conveying their responses to you, making you understand their logic and reasoning in a more detailed manner than a yes/no, true/false question.
If the student fails the online midterm or final exam, does he/she have the chance to retake it?
Tatyana,
That will really depend on your institution's (or your) instructional philosophy. There is nothing in the online environment that pushes the decision in either direction.
In my experience, few of the institutions I work with allow that.
Best,
Jon
I agree that proctored exams are the solution if you might be concerned about cheating. Verses online you dont really know if indeed the student is the one taking the exam. Incase that the student is out of town you have to be well organized to have it posted in the begining of when the class is opened. That way the get enough time to plan ahead.They can also have other recognized institutions proctor the exam.
I agree proctoring exams is the best alternative for online courses. Unfortunately, there is a world of diversity and your solution might not be the best one all participating parties. You would have to put yourself in their situation. Maybe providing a threaded discussion to determine the majorities vote will help clarify the circumstances.
Laura,
This is a possibility, but is a real logistical issue!
Jon
Alicia,
It may also need to be something stated up-front. It depends on how geographically diverse your population is.
Best,
Jon
In a more visual oriented class the idea of summative assessment has always been a problem with me. Sure there will always be terminology to quiz or test on, but really the idea of multiple choice to gauge understanding? It is a trend of data gathering that us online instructors need to question from time to time. Gather because we need the data vs Gather because the data look good on the shelf.
jason,
Excellent point.....Gather because we need the data vs Gather because the data look good on the shelf....
Shelly Crider
