The AICPA is moving in the direction of exam based testing, although
they don't use essay style questions. They have been spending millions
on the IT aspects and the educational psychology side. They are looking
into the assessment of free form responses, however!
The ACCA is moving in this direction too and I believe they have already
started testing using computers ... again, not sure about essay style
questions but I think this is unlikely in the short term.
Other accountancy bodies are looking into these developments.
In my experience, word processing of work not only has the advantage of
helping students with their editing and organisation skills but I would
guess that it leads to more work being turned in: my hypothesis is that
the love of the technology encourages students to prepare more than they
would with handwriting. They can also multi task with the computer:
type, listen to music, chat on MSN Messenger ...
What about efficiency, though? Anyone done any work on how much time
students spend on their word processed work v their hand written work?
For example, the first draft of a WP file can consist of words, phrases,
extracts, cut and paste from all over the place ... even scanned in
rather than typed. Subsequent drafts put all of this into order: how
many drafts are students prepared to work on?
Duncan Williamson
-----Original Message-----
From: Economics, business, and related subjects
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim Riley
Sent: 23 September 2002 10:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: word-processing
Word processing in exams. An intiguing idea.
Potential advantages:
- Easier to mark - maybe even do automatically in time
- Quicker to mark
- Fewer speeeling mistakes (assuming candidates are allowed to use
spell-checker)
But many potential disadvantages?
- Security: how to ensure that a candidate hasn't loaded a wealth of
information onto the clipbord cache or has an infrared/wireless link
from his/her PDA
- Diagrams: can candidate use powerpoint as well; or are they forced to
endure Word?
- Noise - would make the examination hall sound like an old-style typing
pool
- More use of American language (assuming candidates are allowed to use
spell-checker)
- Operating system?; you can just imagine the chaos as Windows XP
freezes the screen again and three hours of work is consigned to the
ether
- Submission of work - do candidate hand a a disk over? How do you know
it is the one they have been working on
- Stream of complaints during the exam about equipment not working;
stick keyboards, mouses that don't hover etc etc
I'm sure there are many more issues. Good old pen and paper does have
its advantages.
-----Original Message-----
From: Economics, business, and related subjects
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Colin
Harber Stuart
Sent: 23 September 2002 10:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: word-processing
True Jim but having marked many an exam script over
the years it is clear that word processing an
essay/report requires and develops a quite different
set of skills from those needed to scribble down a
coherent exam answer under severe time pressures that
do not allow time for redrafting. I guess the basic
problem is that the technology used in exams (pen and
paper) is now out of touch with the technology used
just about everywhere else. So students who have lost
the art of fast writing with a pen (or never develop
it), such that it affects their exam performance, will
also potentially "be at a significant disadvantage for
the rest of their working lives."
Is it now time to allow WP in exams?
Colin Harber Stuart
--- Jim Riley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I cannot remember the last time I saw a business
> report or other
> publication that was handwritten. Come to think of
> it, not many web
> pages, powerpoint presentation or letters either.
> Handwriting is for
> birthday cards, not work or study. Students who
> cannot undertake basic
> word processing skills will be at a significant
> disadvantage for the
> rest of their working lives.
>
> Just my 5 euros worth
>
> Jim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Economics, business, and related subjects
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike
> Chester
> Sent: 23 September 2002 07:53
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: word-processing
>
>
> It is a fact that students, especially the
> relatively weaker ones, who
> word process their coursework are MUCH more likely
> to re-draft and
> improve work than those that hand write it. It is a
> simple case of
> having to start again if you have handwritten it.
> Therefore they get
> better grades, which in these enlightened days seems
> to be all that
> matters!
>
> I also have terrible handwriting!
>
> Mike Chester
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