Consolidated Responses re Computer Examinations
(Bond University, 30 April, 2003)
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Other comments
BALLARAT
Students with disabilities
only. The exam
coordinator is advised of
these students via the
Disability Liaison Officer
Students with disabilities
and others with
documentary evidence.
N/A
Refer to question 1.
Not at all
N/A
The information refers
to exams that are
centrally coordinated.
N/A
Refer to question 1
Not at this stage
We are in the process
of formulating a
policy
A small number of
‘Equity’ students that have
permanent and temporary
disabilities that require
accommodations including
the use of a computer
under controlled conditions
to sit their exams.
Additionally, a number of
INFOCOM courses have
online exams (exams
section does not administer
these exams).
N/A
Refer to question 1
No
Inclusive in exam
policy is a statement
excluding the use of
electronic equipment
(other than the
authorised calculators)
during exams. This
policy is readily
available at CQU
Policy and
Procedures.
(http://www.cqu.edu.a
u/ppmanual/academic/
calculatorsexams.pdf)
BOND
CQU
Students come to the uni
to study from a broad
spectrum of socioeconomic and
international groups,
where a large number of
students do not have
laptop computers or the
opportunity to master the
keyboard.
Notwithstanding, the
determination as to
whether the student
would have to access
their own laptop or the
uni was to supply, a
person’s proficiency
with a keyboard verses a
pen could put a fair
majority of students at a
distinct disadvantage.
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Other comments
LA TROBE
Only students who are
registered with our
Disability Liaison Office
are entitled to have an
arrangement whereby they
are able to sit their
examination through the
use of a computer.
See previous answers
No, under no
circumstances is any
student allowed to bring a
laptop into the
examination room.
No, not that I am
aware of.
Nil
MACQUARIE
Students with disabilities
as approved by Exams
Branch
Once they are registered it is
up to the DLO and the
student as to whether they
will require the computer,
however the option is there,
if they have been assessed
and the assessment shows
that without a computer the
student will be
disadvantaged in any way
then we at the examinations
dept will ensure that a
computer is set up for the
student and it is up to them
whether they use it or not on
the day of the examination.
N/A
See (1) for this
Only in so far as it is
part of our services to
students with a
disability
The plagiarism working
group is also considering
this issue
MELBOURNE
Formal end-of-semester
exams do not allow the use
of computers. Students
with temporary/permanent
disabilities, however, can
be authorized to use
computers under special
invigilation conditions (in
a separate room). It is not
known whether some
departments running inhouse exams allow the use
of computers.
N/A
Under alternative exam
conditions or as
prescribed in a
departmental exam.
We provide the ‘exam
room’ in our Special
Equipment area –
academics can also
approve a student to use
their own laptop under
supervision in this area.
As the regulations now
stand, examiners can
authorize the use of
computers for open-book
exams. The instruction
must be included on the
heading of the exam
paper. There are very
stringent conditions
included: must be selfpowered, must be silent,
must not cause a
disturbance, cannot access
any networks, cannot print
material.
Yes we do. Please
refer to this link:
http://www.unimelb.e
du.au/ExecServ/Statut
es/r1221Or1.htm
Concerns about equity,
unless all students were
to be given equal access
to such equipment. With
wireless technology, will
some gain an unfair
advantage accessing
sites they should not?
Who will police any
such restrictions and can
they be effectively
policed?
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Other comments
NEWCASTLE
Students with disabilities
who provide documentary
evidence
Voluntary
Same as for question 1
No, unless the School
responsible for the exam
has arranged this in
advance.
This is an issue that
needs to be explored
NEW
ENGLAND
Certain courses may
specify that all work
including exams will
require a computer
Depends on the course.
Some courses may have a
prerequisite of a computer
and state up-front that
exams will require a
computer
Other than as specified
for particular courses
students with disabilities
who are required to sit
formal examinations,
that is, those that are
administered by the
Examinations and
Graduation Unit, and
who have provided
supporting
documentation are
permitted the use of
computers. Students
sitting on campus are
provided with a
computer and external
students sitting away
from Armidale are
responsible for providing
their own computer and
disk
Only where they are
examined away from
Armidale and then they
are housed in a different
room to that of other
students in order to
prevent any possibility of
them disturbing other
candidates who may be
sitting examinations at
that centre
Yes, see the
examination rules at
http://www.newcastle.
edu.au/policy/academi
c/adm prog/exams.htm
The only policy is that
we allow students
(with an associated
disability) the use of a
computer if
appropriate
documentation is
supplied in support of
their request. The
policy can be made
available.
The number of students
who are permitted the
use of a computer is
extremely small
compared to the total
number of students
sitting examinations
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
SCU
Students with disabilities
only
Voluntary
Students with disabilities
only. Laptop computers
are supplied by the
University to ensure that
there are no security
breaches. There is one
exception to this. We
have a visually impaired
student who has special
software and a Braille
keyboard. This student is
allowed to use their own
computer, although it is
checked by IT staff
beforehand
No
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Not at the moment
Other comments
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Other comments
TASMANIA
Students with disabilities
and others with
documented medical
evidence
As needed
Same as question 1
No
We have been
approached about the
use of electronic
dictionaries during
exams, which were
refused on some of the
grounds below, and
these could also be
applied to laptops:
If the machine or
application package
fails, the student does
not have access to a
vital piece of
information in the
exam; there is also a
risk of damage to the
machine if it is
knocked from the desk
either by the student
themselves or
students/supervisors
passing that desk,
which may result in
the student not having
access to the machine.
It would also be quite
difficult if not
impossible for
supervisors to check
what is on the
machine if there are
only limited materials
allowed in a particular
exam.
See comments in
question 5.
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
UQ
Not generally, but some
disabled and sight impaired
students undertake
examinations using
computers.
Compulsory only to the
extent that it is the most
effective way for the
students to undertake
their examinations
Refer to question 1
No
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
No
Other comments
There are a few courses
which have been
experimenting with the
use of computers for
multiple choice
examinations in the
anatomical sciences area
University
Do students at your
university undertake
exams via computer?
Is this compulsory or
voluntary?
Under what
circumstances are
computer exams
available to
students?
Are students
permitted to bring
laptops to exam
rooms? Under what
conditions
UTS
Could be used for
alternative assessments
under the relevant policy
(contact Marie Flood
Marie.Flood@uts.edu.au)
More generally online
assessment was identified
as an issue for further
consideration during the
2002 review of assessment
policy. Online quizzes are
quite widely used via
UTSOnline (aka
Blackboard) and a body of
experience is being built up
about when and how they
should be used contact
Simon Housego
(Simon.Housego@uts.edu.
au)
I guess alternative
assessments should be
described as ‘voluntary’
since they are requested
by the student. Quizzes
are compulsory but good
practice demands
alternative modes in case
of difficulties
See (1)
No, except for
alternative assessments
Do you have
policies regarding
this matter? If so,
are you able to
share your policies
with us?
Not specifically about
use of computers in
exams
Other comments
My personal view is that
we should be careful of
creating any policy which
is technology since
technologies change so
quickly. Online quizzes
delivery via a system
such as UTSOnline
should, in my view, be
governed by overall
assessment policies and
guidelines on good
practice. Use of
computers in essay or
calculation based exams
is, I think, highly
problematic because of
the potential to store and
reproduce enormous
amounts of information
and the capacity to use
spreadsheets, macros, etc
in a variety of ways. It
seems to me that there
would be no assessment
benefit in permitting the
use of computers in
exams conducted under
exam conditions: I would
think a ‘take home’ exam
would be preferable.