Exams: In search of a new normal

The coronavirus pandemic caused severe disruption in educational institutions across the whole world affecting the academic pursuits of millions of students everywhere. According to UNESCO report more than 157-crore students across 191-countries were severely impacted by closure of educational institutions with more than 32-crore students being affected in India alone. Board, university-level and entrance exams have been postponed, creating uncertainty among the students. Those who had to appear for entrance exams for studying abroad in foreign universities or were getting jobs through recruitment exams either found revoking their offers or deferment. With most educational institutions out of bounds, there has been a significant increase in the online teaching-learning modes of classes, which helped in some way in the continuance of classes. Now that the educational institutions are trying to figure out a way to assess and evaluate students, many universities are opting for some form of online examination and let students take the exam at their own location. Kashmir University recently formed guidelines and asked college principals to conduct the exams of UG programs on the basis of providing assignments, long and short type question, MCQs etc. Indeed, it will be a new experience for students as well as teachers to have exams in an online mode. There has been a lot of debate over the subject with many demanding general promotions for students. In this backdrop, it is important to have a closer look on the issue to allay the fears and anxieties of students as well as teachers.

Considering the socio-economic and geographical factors, many people argue that most students could not avail the benefits of online classes. In remote areas less than 50 percent of the students are economically and technologically sufficed to learn through the online mode. The students from poor backgrounds do not own a simple phone, not to speak of smart phones and of course the big issue of 2G internet speed, with most of teachers/students not sufficiently digitally literate, has served to exacerbate the digital divide. Many academics while advocating for granting general promotions, argue that the present situation is unprecedented, the bookish rules need to be seen with a human eye; the examinations shouldn’t be conducted for the sake of examination. However, there is another argument. Recently, a contractual teacher in English called me on phone, saying that “out of total 250-students, I have only 50-students on rolls in the Google classroom”. He was actually expressing his inability to see the increase in the student enrollment. I gave him an example of another teacher in chemistry who had just joined his new postings at the college. Initially this teacher had 15 out of 80 students attending online classes, he immediately traced students and in a short time he found 74-students joining classes. Surprisingly, he has managed to trace the remaining 6-students as well, who because of extreme poverty had not afforded mobile phones to join online classes. He delivered them books and notes and I told him to go ahead helping these poor students but keep record of expenses. It is highly appreciable on the part of this teacher to be justifying his role as a teacher. English is a common subject of all students in a particular semester and if only 1/5th of students are attending classes, where lies the main problem?

   

Conducting exams is far better than granting students general promotions which can harm them in the long run. Even when the students have not covered any syllabi, the teachers can judge them on the basis of his/her overall subject knowledge of previous years. If teachers are conducting online classes and are in touch with the students why they cannot give their test and assess them to the maximum possible certainty.  As teachers we can understand the burden and depression of students both of virus and that of exams. But it is not the case of a choice between conducting exams or risking one’s life. At the start of the pandemic lockdown, there was a lot of debate in the media as to what the people would do when they are stuck at home, how they would pass their time while keeping psychologically fit?. The digital Libraries, bookshops, online and social media were abuzz providing people tips and accessible free of cost books and other material to read. Lockdown was also a golden opportunity for students to comfortably study books, complete their syllabi and prepare for exams. Now when we are demanding general promotion for students, Isn’t this a case of negative mindset we have developed to relax and wait for free things to come. I understand that parents are more worried about the future of their children but it is altogether not a happy situation to promote the students to the next level without appearing for any examinations. We as a whole society must understand the importance of education and examination in the lives of students.

While some universities and institutions have considered awarding marks based on previous 2/3-years performance, many universities are opting for online open book examination. Delhi University, has devised an “open book examination” for its under/post-graduate programs in which the students would first download the question paper from the university portal, write the answers on plain paper and upload back, all within a stipulated time. One big issue with the online mode of examination is how the questions are being asked.  I am not supporting to have multiple choice/objective type questions for the students, for the simple reason that if a student is given (say) 50-multiple choice/objective type questions in an online examination. He/she will do Google search and send back the response sheet in a couple of minutes. This is simply a mockery and defeats the very purpose of holding an examination. Instead, expert teachers should frame assignments, short/very short type questions in respective subjects after a lot of thought so that students won’t directly obtain the answers in the Google search and they will be forced to use their own thought process in forming the answers. Considering the factors that, students will not have an expert at home or elsewhere and they cannot move out to seek solution of the papers in the lockdown, even then, the time for completion of exams/assignments must be kept short.

Examinations are amongst the holiest issues in academics. But the modern day exams are a farce, bogus and unreliable in which young people suffer so much for nothing and in the process they lose all excitement in education. The rote learning has reduced its meaning and It has become largely a process of filtration rather than as an instrument for raising the quality of education. Sadly, we have remained confined to these conventional things, creating media hype to signal that we care for our society. Now the things are changing. With the online system we have ventured into a new epoch of education. The HRD Minister recently stated that NAAC will be coming up with new evaluation, assessment and accreditation parameters to ensure that online education reaches everyone. In the state-of-the-art online exam systems, the candidates are identified, authenticated and approved to take the test and are live through webcam with the assistance of AI tools. The sanctity and assessment of examination is going to enhance. Hopefully, if we take the technology in a positive manner and not misuse it, it will change the face of our education system. Having said that, one really hopes that when this pandemic is over students soon resume their normal class work in the traditional brick and mortar classroom with the entire online mode at their disposal.

Dr Mohammad Amin Malik is a College Principal, Higher Education Deptt, J&K

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