USyd assessments set to return to in-person for Semester One
The return to in-person assessments will see many units return to pen-and-paper exam format.
The University of Sydney has announced that the “majority” of exams and assessments will return to an in-person “supervised” format in 2023, with the form of assessment still dependent on the unit of study.
The return to in-person assessments will see many units return to pen-and-paper format. Students studying summer intensives through Sydney Law School have already sat open-book pen-and-paper assessments, indicating the return of this form of assessment at the Law School.
The University has committed to further trialling Bring Your Own Laptop exams, which would see students complete assessments on their computers while supervised on-campus.
The return to in-person formats comes after the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Authority (TEQSA) mandated that international students resume in-person attendance for 2023, with Australian universities required to comply with this requirement by July.
The University said “for the relatively small proportion of students unable to make it to Australia for first semester” exams will be “conducted online through ProctorU with a live proctor.”
“A small number will be ‘monitored’ – conducted online through ProctorU and recorded.”
The University’s comment left it unclear what arrangements were being made for students with disabilities. SRC Disabilities Officers Khanh Tran and Jack Scanlan told Honi, “we oppose the compulsory return to in-person exams and attendance while universities reduce the chance for students having work from home options.”
“There are students who are immunocompromised and do not feel safe to return to campus. There are students who have care and childcare responsibilities for their children. Students might have traumatic experiences on campus who may not feel safe learning on campus.
“Remote exams and learning options are an important part of a genuinely inclusive education. The benefits of accessible education technology are immense and universities cannot ignore our community.”
Honi will provide further information as it is released.