One system to examine them all: Defining the complexities of implementing an institution wide online exam model

Abstract

A significant majority of universities have engaged in piloting or implementing technology enabled forms of examination (online exams) in response to increasing pressures on space, resources and the demands of scale. Informed by analysis drawn from a series of consultative workshops and interviews with over 120 participants including academics, support and professional services staff and senior management at the University of Sydney, this paper will explore the tensions and challenges arising from the institutional demand to determine the requirements for the procurement of a single online exam system to replace the current spread of disparate pilots across the faculties. Using pain points, alleviations and mitigations that are felt within the existing exam system, we will identify two tensions that increase in importance the further any system moves away from the dominant models of exam facilitation and marking using technology.