Online exams: such a challenge for the academic community

The closing of educational centres as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemics has required the quick adaptation of daily routines to online formats. As we have already explained, CEU has performed this sudden change with extraordinary agility thanks to a firm commitment to innovation and digitalization. Therefore, technology as basis of an innovative culture of CEU Universities has placed them at an edge position during this crisis.

The fruits of a digital transformation forged throughout the years at CEU Universities

Iñaki Bilbao, Vice-Rector of Internationalization and Digital Transformation of Universidad CEU San Pablo outstands that only 48 hours were enough to take the leap from in-person to online education. Without doubt, anticipation has been the key to success of this readjustment as the strategic plan of digital transformation includes training programs for Professors. They consider the preparation of teaching methodologies and online evaluation systems. Moreover, alliances with the best technological companies are essential and provide students and professors with practical and agile tools.

But it was not only a matter of distance teaching it is also necessary to develop online exams something that requires safety measures to obtain reliable tests and results.

Surveillance tools to guarantee academic legitimacy of evaluations

CEU USP relies on a remote surveillance tool called Respondus LockDown Browser with a 97% acceptance percentage by students. When its use is not possible the University has foreseen evaluation tests and alternative exams. They are oral tests that can be done through mobile using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, a tool students and teachers are already used to. This tool allows the capture of the student’s picture and the place where he/she is taking the examination as well as the noise during the exam. The objective is no other than guaranteeing the academic integrity and legitimacy of evaluations and exams.

Also for the last three months we have been working with remote surveillance programs already tested for the last year especially with international students. The purpose is to avoid phishing. Therefore they use “proctoring” implemented in Universities thanks to a complete process of identification of students. They record a video and take pictures of students and of a ID. This way they confirm the identity of the person who is going to take the exam.

In these circumstances, nearly 17,000 students of the three CEU Universities will take online examinations. In fact only at CEU San Pablo, some 7,000 thousand started exams last 18th May. In about two months we estimate that some 120,000 exams will be carried out at the three CEU Universities before closing the year and this without counting Post-graduate tests.