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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 33, No. 5 22 April 1970
Students Attack Exam System
Students Attack Exam System
Proposals which, If implemented, would virtually amount to a dismantling of the examination system, have been made by Auckland University students.
The proposals were made by student representatives at a Philosophy Department staff/student meeting and have created quite a stir at Auckland. One of the student representatives, Phil O'Carroll, said that "the general opinion was that the present final exams system is ridiculously overrated, that much more sensitive methods of assessment are necessary and that much more freedom and responsibility should be given to the student to choose his own way of proving himself."
The submissions presented were:
| 1. |
That for every paper in the department, each student be assigned a year's work mark as well as a final exam mark. |
| 2. |
That a student's final grade or examination result' in each paper be the higher of these two marks. |
| 3. |
That a student fails a paper only if he fails both on his final exam mark and on his year's work mark. |
| 4. |
That no student enrolled in a given paper be prevented from sitting the final exam in that paper. |
| 5. |
That a year's work mark be assessed in each paper on the basis of a range of assignments given during the year. |
| 6. |
That tests, essays, tutorials and seminars can be treated as reliable measured for this purpose, if administered under certain conditions, for example: tests conducted in the lecture rooms, under supervision. These can take the form of one-hour essays, multiple-choice questions, or exercises. (In the case of essays, there should be one marker for all.) Essays written in the student's own time. Each student, when collecting his essay from the staff member who has examined it, has a brief interview at which the essay is discussed. The staff member could explain his comments and ask the student further questions. Seminars and tutorials, where numbers permit, can be assessed by the same staff members for the whole class. |
| 7. |
That the precise range of assignments for assessment in each paper be deckled upon by the staff and students taking that paper. |
Student representatives in Psychology and Political Studies have entered the same proposals on agendas for discussion at their respective departmental staff/student meetings.