Alternative assessments, such as online open book tests, would replace online supervised exams for the second semester of the academic year. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Massey University has, for now, ditched using online supervised exams after technology failures disrupted hundreds of students' tests last month.
Such exams allow students to sit assessments anywhere, monitored by webcams and microphones.
But problems during June's examinations affected about 400 students, who couldn't log on to their tests or had delays in doing so.
Findings from an inquiry into what went wrong are expected to be released later this month.
Massey provost, Professor Giselle Byrnes, said alternative assessments, such as online open book tests, would replace online supervised exams from its third-party provider PSI Bridge for the second semester of the academic year, which began this week.
"We understand the recent disruption to the online supervised examinations will have caused a great deal of distress to students and we would like to again apologise, noting we are sorry for this failure of service to Massey."
The university's learning and teaching committee was looking into exam provision before the June failures, and a report with recommendations was tabled and shared with the students' association, Te Tira Ahu Pae. Byrnes did not say what the recommendations were.
"Following the recent failure with [online supervised exams], the future examination requirements working group was reconvened to look at how to expedite the recommendations.
"Representatives from Te Tira Ahu Pae are a part of this work, and information will be shared with students and staff as soon as it is appropriate."
Manawatū-based Massey student Alex Murray was affected by the June failures, when he could not log on to an accounting exam.
He started an online petition calling for the university to stop using online supervised exams, which has attracted 1200 signatures, and welcomed news they're off the menu for now.
"This is just a step in the right direction. I think it was a wise move from Massey considering trying to find an alternative replacement in such a short amount of time was going to be hard to do.
"I think they have made the right call."
Murray received an aegrotat pass for the exam he couldn't sit, despite repeated attempts to log on, but didn't get a grade for the paper, which he is unhappy about.
He said he was told by the university he could only get a grade if he had submitted 60 percent of the work required for a paper - and in his case this was not possible as the examination was worth 50 percent. Missing out on a possible high grade was a "kick in the guts".
Meanwhile, Massey has declined to say how much it has spent with PSI Bridge, citing the need to avoid unfairly prejudicing the commercial position of Massey and PSI.
It said, however, the amount it paid changed depending on the volume of people sitting online supervised exams.
The system was introduced in 2020 as part of the university's Covid-19 response, replacing a previous system trialled since 2014.
The university said there were no significant technical problems during summer school exams in February nor mid-semester tests earlier this year.
