The University of Otago exams are to be held online to prevent Covid disruption

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The University of Otago has moved most of their exams online to reduce interruptions from Covid-19 restrictions.

Approximately 15,000 students are tested using a web-based assessment platform or email, with fraud monitoring software in place.

The decision was made in consultation with the University of Otago Students’ Association (OUSA) in order to give more security at the end of the semester.

The University of Auckland announced earlier this year that many of their exams and proctored tests will be held online. Other universities say they are considering this option as well.

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In a statement sent to the students Thursday, University of Otago Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Pat Cragg said that “final written exams and assessments will be held online throughout the year and second semester.”

“There will be a few exceptions for some clinical and practical tests.”

The University of Otago's decision to move exams online is intended to give students and staff more security.

Hamish McNeilly / Stuff

The University of Otago’s decision to move exams online is intended to give students and staff more security.

Students will be notified by next Friday which format their assessment will take and which other changes exist for the remainder of the semester.

Moving online requires all students to have access to a computer and WiFi, and those who do not can request help.

Exams begin on October 20, and if Warning Levels 1 or 2 apply, students can use a computer on campus.

“We wanted to give the students security in a time that was difficult for many,” says Cragg.

“There is a clear possibility that the alert levels could change further in the next few months, which gives both students and employees security and enables the university to plan and prepare appropriately.”

Some exams – such as those in the freshest year of Health Sciences (used for competitive entry into Health Sciences), Law, and Accounting – use Examsoft, which provides online monitoring.

Others are carried out on student management platforms such as Blackboard or Moodle. Those submitted via email are processed by an academic integrity checker called Turnitin.

Things contacted the other six New Zealand universities.

Several institutions, including the University of Waikato, have yet to decide whether to move exams online.

Christel Yardley / stuff

Several institutions, including the University of Waikato, have yet to decide whether to move exams online.

A University of Auckland spokeswoman said exams and supervised tests in the second, third and fourth semesters would be held online.

There are exceptions, according to the spokeswoman, especially for courses that require professional recognition.

Auckland University of Technology and Lincoln University are expected to make announcements next week.

A spokeswoman for the University of Waikato said she hadn’t made a decision yet.

The University of Canterbury (UC) also has yet to make a decision. A spokeswoman said the organization is “ready to adapt quickly if the alert levels change”.

“At warning levels 3 and 4, we need to be online for teaching and assessment.

“For Levels 1 and 2, we could do a face-to-face assessment on campus, but online options will be available when students cannot be on campus

“To ensure academic integrity, UC uses online monitoring and plagiarism detection tools, as well as some zoom monitoring tools.”

In June 2020, universities said they rely on honesty on online exams and reminded students of the repercussions if caught.

On Thursday, Education Secretary Chris Hipkins announced a number of planned changes to university entry requirements to mitigate potential disruptions from this or future Covid-19 lockdowns.

Under the changes, students would have to achieve 12 instead of 14 credits in each of the three approved subjects in order to study at the university.

You would still need to reach NCEA Level 3 and meet the reading and numeracy skills.

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