LundaEkonomerna want to introduce digital exams. But the School of Economics and Management is hesitant. “There is money to invest”, says Felix Blanke, Vice President at LundaEkonomerna.
Digitalised examinations appear to be the future. The Faculty of Law adopted the system during last autumn term, and the response has been positive. Easier to edit texts for students and a more effective administration have made more faculties interested in joining the law students.
Digital exams first priority
Vice President at LundaEkonomerna Felix Blanke is determined to see us abandon pen and paper for keyboards at in-class exams.
“At the student union, we are working towards electronic exams. It’s a change that will benefit students. We want this to be a prioritised issue at the faculty,” he explains.
Work is moving slowly
But despite commitment, the work at the faculty is moving slowly. From when the issue was first raised to last autumn, it has been at an impasse. The question-marks facing this change are too many.
“We are somewhere in between at the moment. We brought up the issue with the Education Council at the beginning of autumn and received a positive response. We were going to test the system in spring, but then the teacher at the course in question deemed the system too insecure”, Felix Blanke says.
Need a stronger foundation
Nikos Macheridis is the Director of Studies at the School of Economics and Management, and he holds that the issue must be further investigated before the faculty can green-light the system.
“The discussions about the basis of this decision have been far too inadequate. There has not been enough information to adopt this system,” he says.
What is missing?
“The economical aspect of it – what will be the cost? But also what conditions we need to meet: what technical investments there are and what administrative investments are required. Any money should be put towards activities supporting education. It’s important to have a proper basis for these things.”
Is there work being done to answer these questions?
“Discussions about the issue have begun, but we will have to see at what pace they take us forward. But there is a positive approach to this change.”
“There is money to invest”
At the Faculty of Law, digital exams have been a good fit. Legal students have in-class exams with much writing and few take-home exams. But at the School of Economics and Management, things are different. Mathematical calculations are mixed with take-home exams, which are cases when the system would be superfluous.
“At the end of the day, it’s a matter of costs. We have quite many take-home exams and math exams, neither of which go well with the system. Cost is one issue – but we also have to look at what value we get,” Felix Blanke says, explaining how to move forward:
“We at LundaEkonomerna will have discussions with the companies behind the digital exams if, perhaps, they can lower their price to show-case their product. We will press the faculty to invest in this, because there is money to invest,” he concludes.
Text: Casper Danielsson
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
First published at lundagard.se
