Week 12

  3 things I found interesting or important

  1. "My conversations with students reveal some who consider switching majors after a single unfavorable exam grade. Many are deeply anxious about receiving anything other than an A, relatively certain that a GPA less than a 3.8 will consign them to a life of penury. When I ask them why they need A’s, they look at me like I’m asking a fish why it needs water." 
  2. "When he’d signed up for an online class in Russian cinema history, he’d had no idea it meant being surveilled over video chat by someone on the other side of the world. Hayes learned about it via an item on the class syllabus, released shortly before the semester began, that read “Examity Directions.” The syllabus instructed Hayes and his classmates to sign up for Examity, an online test-proctoring service."

  • Reading questions aloud is normal and helps with understanding
  • Looking away from the screen in various directions is a normal thing when trying to remember something
  • Scribbling notes is also normal and useful

2 ways I can relate

  1. I can relate to the second thing that I found interesting when it comes to having some random person watch me while I take an exam. I understand it's for cheating purposes but I don't think professors realize how uncomfortable that is for us students. We are already in high intense situation because of the exam but now on top of that I have to worry about a random person watching me for an hour and half.
  2. I can also relate to how students are always anxious about grades and when they receive anything lower than an A, they freak out because my little sister is the exact same way. College has taught me along the way that everything won't turn out the way you wished or hoped so as long as it wasn't a failing grade, you have to give yourself a pat on the back for at least trying to your best ability.
1 question

Do you think that ProctorU is too much? And if so does it make you even more anxious for your exam?

DEEP DIVE: 

To the further readings, I agree with Karen Costa when she thinks Course Hero and other apps like such make students rely on cheating and not even caring to learn the material. I agree with this as well but I also think that once COVID hit, it not only changed the world but it changed schools as well. COVID hit my freshman year of college, spring semester, we left for spring break and never came back for the school year. People were losing family during the pandemic and struggling money-wise, so yes apps made it a lot easier to cheat during that time specifically. Also because universities weren't prepared for us to have to learn completely remotely so ProctorU didn't come until the following school year.









Comments

  1. Whitney RigdonApril 26, 2023 at 8:17 AM

    I also think the whole idea behind ProctorU is very strange. The fact that someone is watching you live is ridiculous to me. It significantly adds to the stress on the student who is already taking an exam. I think using something like a lockdown browser with a web camera is more logical because it helps to prevent cheating with AI and flagging. Professors can go back and watch the recording if there is a problem. This is a lot less weird than someone watching you live.

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  2. Paige ThorsonApril 27, 2023 at 3:44 PM

    I would be uncomfortable on a test with proctorU. I am fine with the respondus browser that we use here that flags thing from the recording, but to have another human being on the other side watching me would be a little to weird for me. I also agree with you that were already nervous for the exam that we are about to take me don't need more nerves on top of that.

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