FEB students in petition:
‘Give us assignments instead of online exams’
They say there are two major disadvantages to online exams. On the one hand, it would be easier for students to cheat during online exams, which would ultimately devalue their degree.
On the other hand, they say that because not all students have access to a stable internet connection, it would make it impossible for some of them to sit an online exam for three consecutive hours.
Extra long
FEB recently decided to merge its current exam period with the one slated for the end of the year. The extra-long exam period will last from June 8 to July 10.
In the petition, students call this a bad idea. To be able to prepare properly, they need at least two weeks’ time between the two exam periods.
Best solution
The best solution, they say, would be to allow lecturers to create alternative assignments. They propose the assignments take three to four times longer to make than an exam.
Students should be allowed several days to finish the assignment, rather than the few hours it would take them to sit an exam. This would solve the issue of the internet connection, since students with unstable or slow connections wouldn’t be dependent on finishing in just a few hours. They can keep an eye on the deadline themselves and hand in the assignment when necessary.
Advantages
There are other advantages to the assignments, the petition’s initiators say. The students would make comprehensive use of the study materials and therefore absorb it better. Assignments would also allow lecturers to be more creative than with exams, which would contribute to the educational process.
The faculty would also benefit from the change, as it wouldn’t have to go to the ‘trouble’ of scheduling the new exams and figuring out new software. It would also allow lecturers to grade the assignments on their own time.