It is essential to think through the practical implications when you are about to conduct your first digital assessment, whether it is on-site or online. We have compiled some advice to help you think about the preparations for your first digital assessment. The information may be useful as the basis for your best practice procedures moving forward.
In this article:
On-site Assessments
Before the assessment
It is a good idea to prepare your students for their first digital assessment. Preparing students will help control nerves, providing confidence in the technology and allowing concentration solely on the assessment
By using the built-in demos or mock exam created at your institution, students can test the tools in the system. The demos will also allow students to verify whether the lockdown browser is installed correctly on their devices if the assessment is to be in a lockdown environment. Using the demo flows or a mock exam will also make the students familiar with the rules and regulations regarding the digital assessment process, for example:
- whether it is possible to borrow a computer if they lack a suitable device
- security - how the system prevents cheating (lockdown assessments, Device Monitor etc.)
- what the procedure for the allocation of extra time is
It is vital to plan the support for the assessment. Identify who can support the various users during the assessment including providing technical support e.g. connection to the network, login, etc.
UNIwise can be present at your first on-site exam if required. This will come with an additional cost. Please contact the Onboarding Expert for further information.
On the day of the exam (when the students arrive)
Being fully prepared helps everything run smoothly on the day of the exam. Therefore, we suggest you consider the following:
- How early should students arrive before the exam? We recommend that the students arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the assessment.
- How will attendance be registered and by whom? Remember: you can register participant turnout in WISEflow.
- When should everyone be ready and seated before the start of the assessment? We recommend at least 10 minutes before you start the assessment. This time allows the invigilators to verify that everyone is ready and that the students do not disturb each other.
- Set a buffer timer on your licence. This determines how late someone can start the assessment after the published start time. UNIwise can help you do this.
- When using the lockdown browser, how and by whom will students be provided with the entry password?
- Who will monitor the assessment in WISEflow? The main invigilator could do this.
- Do you have computers that students can borrow? If so, how is this to managed?
- Prepare guidelines for comments in the participation monitor, for example, if a student borrows a computer.
- Prepare guidelines for communication to the students during the exam. Remember: you can use the message function in WISEflow.
- It could be useful to place an FAQ document at every seat (for an on-site assessment) with information about:
- how to log in (this can vary depending on whether the students use BYOD-login or the institution's computers)
- an overview of the tools found in WISEflow
- the rules for toilet visits
- if/when they can leave the room when they have completed their submission
- what to do in case of technical difficulties
- the rules for food and drink
During the assessment
Invigilators should be prepared to help students if they experience problems with WISEflow or their devices. UNIwise has made troubleshooting guides for such issues. We recommend that you print it and hand it out to your invigilators.
- WISEflow Lockdown Browser - Troubleshooting
- WISEflow Device Monitor - Troubleshooting
- Webcam - Troubleshooting
- File Upload - Troubleshooting
Online Assessments
Before the assessment
It is a good idea to prepare your students for their first digital assessment. Preparing students will help control nerves, providing confidence in the technology and allowing concentration solely on the assessment.
By using the built-in demos or mock exam created at your institution, the students can test the tools in the system and:
- verify whether the lockdown browser or Device Monitor is installed correctly on their devices
- test if their webcam works (if you use facial recognition)
- become familiar with the rules and regulations regarding the digital assessment process, for example:
- security - how the system prevents cheating (lockdown assessments)
- what is the procedure for the allocation of extra time
During the assessment
Consider how first-level support will be provided to students during a remote assessment. How can students contact your support team, and how will the support team and invigilators help the students?
Direct messages can be sent to students during an assessment by using our direct message feature in WISEflow. This way, the institution can reach out to students with information during an assessment if needed.
Our UNIwise troubleshooting guides are also useful for the support team/invigilators - please see them listed above.