Time to end closed book/handwritten exams for actuaries (and lots of others too)?

[actuary21c]

Please see http://bit.ly/91gw8p

[campbell]

I've posted on this before.

As my response is going to be rather long, I will get to it later.

In lieu of that, here's a link to something about calculator use in math classes:
http://www.marypat.org/stuff/nylife/000825.html

It may not seem related, but it is.

THE QUICK ANSWER: we would have to make the exams much, much more difficult if they were open book + all sorts of tech assistance.

[actuary21c]

Originally Posted by campbell

I've posted on this before.

As my response is going to be rather long, I will get to it later.

In lieu of that, here's a link to something about calculator use in math classes:
http://www.marypat.org/stuff/nylife/000825.html

It may not seem related, but it is.

THE QUICK ANSWER: we would have to make the exams much, much more difficult if they were open book + all sorts of tech assistance.

Thanks mpc, and I enjoyed your article about calculator use. I very much agree that students need to know how to do the calculations by hand as well as using the calculator tools.

I look forward to your lengthier reply: if the technical tools that can be put on a USB drive really would make it too difficult to distinguish between candidates who understand the material and those who don't, then perhaps the usage of material on a USB drive should be limited to non programs (I think this could be enforced via the pc's configuration, and in any case, invigilators and filming the exam hall should provide credible deterrence, and indeed the computer could log the usage of any programs). However, in the examples you give about calculator use in mathematics, it sounds as if the candidates who didn't understand would have still failed the exam

[JMO]

[tangent from another thread]
If the open book method is adopted, how will we deal with cases that involve [apparent] plagiarism? [/tangent]

Final in my college honors calc class was semi-open book. We were allowed to create a set of notes, limited to 10 pages, to take into the exam. [I kept my notes for years, until I arrived at the point where my own notes were greek to me.]

[actuary21c]

Originally Posted by JMO

[tangent from another thread]
If the open book method is adopted, how will we deal with cases that involve [apparent] plagiarism? [/tangent]

Final in my college honors calc class was semi-open book. We were allowed to create a set of notes, limited to 10 pages, to take into the exam. [I kept my notes for years, until I arrived at the point where my own notes were greek to me.]

re "how do we detect apparent plagiarism?"
If the desks in the exam hall are far enough apart, and the examination is filmed (and the candidates are told in advance that it will be filmed), and invigilators (proctors I believe in US parlance) patrol the hall in sufficient numbers, then I think it will be very easy both to deter and to detect plagiarism by students talking to one another, or passing each other USB keys. Also, the seating plan could be randomised, rather than alphabetical, so that students could not be confident (in advance) of sitting close to someone they knew, and siblings/husband and wife pairs would also not automatically sit in close proximity.

Mobile phones should of course also be banned from the examination hall, and anyone using them automatically disqualified. (Otherwise candidates could in theory communicate using Facebook messaging, twitter etc).

[Goldenhands]

We're already writing for 6 hours, 2 stretches of 3 hours straight. My hand hurts. There's no time to look things up.

[actuary21c]

A PS to my previous post re "how to detect apparent plagiarism"

At the moment, if two candidates have paragraphs which are identical, word for word, then plagiarism is a likely possibility, unless the said paragraph is an extract from a piece of legislation, an actuarial standards note, or from a textbook which candidates may well have memorised verbatim.

Under what I'm proposing, candidates will often be able to copy and paste paragraphs from supporting notes on the USB drive that they have brought to the exam hall, so identical paragraphs across different candidates is likely to become much more common.

However, unless there is evidence (from the film of the exam, or from invigilators) that candidates have been communicating, plagiarism is extremely unlikely (until such time as candidates find a way of communicating telephathically). Mobile phones must of course be banned, as I've said before, and the computers in the exam hall must be disabled from communicating via the network/messenger or Bluetooth.

The SOA and other organisations' (does the Inst and Faculty use any? I've not heard of them doing so, but they may well do) plagiarism detection software may no longer be needed, but so be it: it is more important to have an examination system that is efficient and truly reflects the world we live in, rather than continuing to use 20th (or frankly, 19th or 18th or even earlier) century methods.

[Kenshiro]

Are there really that many people who have trouble writing or filling in multiple choice bubbles where this is a problem? It seems pretty silly.

The SOA briefly had an open book/more practical exam in course 7. They ditched it in favor of the modules. I would support moving back from modules to something more like course 7, but I don't think making all the exams open note is a good idea.

[actuary21c]

Originally Posted by Goldenhands

We're already writing for 6 hours, 2 stretches of 3 hours straight. My hand hurts. There's no time to look things up.

Ah, but there is time to look things up, and copy and paste the relevant bits. (Marks should be deducted for copying and pasting irrelevant bits however).

[actuary21c]

Originally Posted by Kenshiro

Are there really that many people who have trouble writing or filling in multiple choice bubbles where this is a problem? It seems pretty silly.

The SOA briefly had an open book/more practical exam in course 7. They ditched it in favor of the modules. I would support moving back from modules to something more like course 7, but I don't think making all the exams open note is a good idea.

I'm not talking about multiple choice exams, which should in any case already be computerised (if they're not, why on earth not?). I'm talking about the often used, non multiple choice, write your answer down carefully and as legibly as possible.