A closed-book proctored exam tests what a student has memorized. But “professional or disciplinary judgment is based on the ability to select the right tool and apply it effectively.” [source] An unproctored take-home or open-book exam lets students demonstrate this judgment. Here are tips for balancing these advantages with concerns about cheating, collaboration, and plagiarism.
- Decide on timing: In all cases listed here, the exam design should take no more than 2–3 hours of student time. What varies is the time they are given to complete it. If you do allow more time, caution students against spending the full time perfecting their submission. If students are uploading an electronic document (MS Word or PDF), allow an extra 20–30 minutes. If students must upload images of handwritten work, allow an extra hour.
- Short (2–3 hours, timed, anytime in a 24-hour window): Good for an introductory course in which basic factual knowledge or speed of recall is key. It cuts down on cheating by collaboration, but provokes anxiety.
- Medium (6–24 hours): Allows a student to do their work or skip a question they’re stuck on, take a break, and come back to review it. Can be a little more tempting for collaboration/cheating, so write questions carefully.
- Long (several days): More like a comprehensive assignment than an exam. Requires questions with unique, custom responses; extra time allows students to consider what examples they might use.
- Set clear policies and consequences: Can students use the textbook, notes, Internet? (Probably yes.) Can they communicate or collaborate with one another? (Probably no.) Set a policy students will find reasonable, since you won’t be able to police it. When outside sources are allowed, be clear that plagiarism and direct copying and pasting of text are still forbidden. Determine and publicize the consequences of violating the policy. Have students electronically sign an Affirmation for extra weight.
- Write appropriate questions/prompts:
- Good open-book exam questions emphasize critical thinking skills about the most important course content, not rote knowledge or trivia. Instead of asking students to define a term, list a set of principles, or repeat Newton’s Third Law, ask them to apply it to an example that you (or they) provide.
- Write questions whose answers are difficult to search for on the internet, while also avoiding ambiguously-worded “can you guess the answer I’m thinking of?” questions.
- For STEM problems with calculations and a single correct answer, ask students to explain their solution (not their calculation) with a few verbal sentences.
- Specify a maximum word count for free-response questions, or students may tell you everything they know about the topic in hopes the right answer is in there somewhere.
- Grade equitably:
- Use clear, consistent rubrics when grading free-response questions, especially when correct answers may differ greatly.
- Keep grades hidden until you’re done grading, in case you need to recalibrate your standards partway through and regrade some submissions.
- Do an internet search for your question prompts or for suspicious sentences in student answers to sniff out plagiarism.
- Another tool: Oral interviews. As another guard against cheating or plagiarism, you and/or a TA can also schedule brief (10-15 minute) one-on-one sessions with students after an exam is graded but before grades are released. Pick a few questions at random from the exam and ask students to describe their answer or thought process. While exclusively oral exams can be very anxiety-provoking, an interview limited to what was already on a written exam should be less so. This does require scheduling the exam, grading, and interviews all before the term ends.
Other Resources
- Tips for managing handwritten exams online (new resource, coming soon!)
- Best Practices for Designing and Grading Exams, University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
- Open-Book, Closed-Book, or 'Cheat Sheet'? Researchers Test the Merits of Exam Types, Chronicle of Higher Education
- Harvard College Tips for Take-Home Exams, the College Honor Code, and associated Affirmation
If your exam requires students to write their work by hand (equations, graphs, sketches, etc.) here are some tips for managing this online as smoothly as possible.
- Make the exam:
- For most exams: use a Canvas quiz with a link to a pdf of your blank exam in the instructions. Add a single “File Upload” question to the quiz. You won’t be able to view submissions in Speedgrader, but you can download all submissions, grade them with comments. Then attach your graded version of the paper as a file comment in Speedgrader. Be sure each graded submission goes back to the right student!
- For non-timed exams (a student may work on it for as long as it is available) use a Canvas Assignment with a File Upload instead of a quiz. Then when you grade, you can use all the document annotations available in Speedgrader.
- Provide a technology-practice exam at least one week earlier with the same page count and need for handwriting legibility. Students can verify that their tech needs and how long the process takes. Configure it so students can take it an unlimited number of times.
- Add 20% more time beyond the regular exam time to allow for students to scan or photograph handwritten work.
- Allow for a mix of student technology: Not all students will be able to print your exam. Number the pages and problems so students can do their work on blank paper, using your numbering.
- Copy, adapt, and incorporate the following instructions for students into your own practice exam and real exam instructions. Highlighted sections must be edited or removed as needed in your case.
- For this handwritten online exam, students should do the following:
- Take the practice exam at least one week in advance. Note how long it takes, and any technical issues you need to resolve and take action. Try as many times as you like.
- The exam is [X] minutes long. You have been given [Y] extra minutes to digitize and submit your work. Complete your work in the exam time so you have enough time to digitize and submit.
- Print out the exam and write directly on it (preferred), or use blank paper. If using blank paper, no need to copy the text of every question or prompt, but do write the page number and question numbers on every page. Make the page-question combination match those on the original exam.
- [If the exam is remotely proctored] Direct your web camera at your writing, not your face. Show the front and back of all blank pages you will be using before writing on them.
- Use a scanner to digitize your work (preferred) or take digital photos with phone, tablet, or web camera. Be sure all writing is legible: One photo for each page, no edges cut off, not too faint or blurry in the photo. Compile all images, in the correct order, into a single document (e.g. MS Word). One image per page is too difficult to read, try one image per question.
- Use a distinct name for your document, e.g. “YourFirstName_YourLastName_FinalExam.docx”
- If the exam window closes before you can submit, send your work to the instructor by email or Canvas message immediately. This does not guarantee it will be accepted.
Other resources:
- Top 4 Tips for Assigning Handwritten Work (or Alternatives)
- Canvas Exams Quick Start
- Sign up for training events offered by the Department of Teaching and Learning
Research shows that high-quality exams can be a positive part of students’ learning experience. This is just a short overview; we hope you’ll follow the links for the details that apply to your course.
- Start before the course begins. In some courses, students say the coursework and assignments didn’t prepare them for the exam. Plan ahead so that student assignments, quizzes, discussions, and other course activities all cover the same content—and use prompts in the same format—as will be on the exam.
- Test what’s most important, with a range of difficulty. Think about your course goals: years from now, what knowledge, skills, and behaviors do you want your students to have as a result of taking your course? Make this the focus of all student work, including exams. Don’t test on trivial details or vocabulary. Use a range of prompts from basic to advanced, to capture a spectrum of student performance. Avoid prompts that make students guess what you’re thinking.
- Ask: Is an exam the right tool? Will students best show they’ve met your goals by answering exam questions? Maybe a term project, presentation, research paper, or a series of lower-stakes assignments would be a better measure of student mastery. (For more alternative assessments, see "Additional Resources" on this page.) The DCE Faculty Institute resource about exams can help you think through the purpose and value of exams and choosing an exam type that’s right for you.
- Set up the technology early. DCE’s Instructional Technology Group offers resources for administering online exams and consultations to help configure exam software correctly. Online proctoring software needs to be set up weeks before the exam date, so sign up early if you’re planning on using it.
- Use good-fit question types, and use them well. Multiple choice? Written calculations? Short essay? Every type of prompt comes with advantages and disadvantages. The resource Best Practices for Designing and Grading Exams has a table reviewing the pros and cons and tips for each type. Another good resource gives 14 Rules for Writing Multiple Choice Questions. There are also special considerations for including prompts requiring handwritten submissions.
- Test what they know, not what they don't. Focus on giving students opportunities to show what they've learned, rather than penalizing them for not knowing a particular thing. Some instructors use question groups with instructions like "Answer three of the following five questions." Some add a final question: "Tell me something you learned that I didn't ask about in this exam."
- Be clear and consistent about your grading criteria. If your exam has free-response questions, use rubrics so students know required word counts and any other criteria that might affect their score. This is especially important if more than one person will be grading. Even for multiple choice and other ‘objective’ exam questions, prepare rationales for each answer in advance. This not only helps students succeed, it reduces disputes over grades.
- Proofread! Finish writing your exam days before you administer it, so you can review it the next day with a fresh perspective. Have a colleague or TA review or even take the exam to ensure the prompts are clear, not subject to multiple interpretations, and can be answered in the time allotted.
Additional Resources
- Alternatives to Traditional Exams and Papers - Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Indiana University Bloomington
- Alternatives to the Traditional Exam as Measures of Student Learning Outcomes - Lucinda L. Parmer, Southeastern Oklahoma State University