Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Using the Internet during Exams

I am not sure if anyone has heard that Denmark college students may be able to use the Internet while taking exams. They are currently testing it to see how it works. One concern is students will cheat as they can use any website, including Facebook. However, educators are placing their trust in the students. There is a time limitation and the ways in which questions are worded make it difficult to cheat. One person leading this stated, "If we're going to be a modern school and teach them things that are relevant for them in modern life, we have to teach them how to use the internet." The focus is on how students find particular information, analyze it and provide an explanation.

I think this is an interesting concept that truly illustrates how the world is changing technologically and how students are accessing information. Educators in favor of this are paralleling the students’ everyday experiences using the Internet and bringing this practice into the classroom. This is a Mindset 2 concept yet it incorporates one’s self efficacy and individuality (Mindset 1). Collaboration, in this case, would be considered cheating. At a college level, I think this will work. Some students in high school may think it is a great idea initially but similar to open-book tests, may prove to be difficult. I fully believe that foundations are needed for any subject matter but this approach allows students to show how they use information they find.

How do you feel about this?

If you’d like to read the full article go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8341886.stm

1 comment:

  1. I think it really depends on what concepts or skills they want students to learn. For students in that college in Denmark, they may have had high academic performance already, and what the teachers tried to teach them is the skill to do research via internet. Since nowadays, if we don't know how to find information via internet, we are considered as information handicap. By giving them the limit of time, they need to know the efficient way to use their time to surfing in internet. Therefore, first of all, they need to quickly identify their needs. Second of all, students need to develop their own search strategies to retrieve information that better matches their need. Third, students need to have critical thinking skill to select the right information. Last, this is to foster students an independent research skill which will be with them for the rest of their life, in school or in society. Once they learn, they will develop their problem solving skills for their real life too. All of their learning here is more important than the content of subject itself.
    Especially we are dealing with new literacy and mindset #2, and hence, we are teaching students how to be confident knowing what situation they are in and have a really good sense what they are learning. Once they have a good point of stand, they can develop their talents and abilities without limit. After all we are training student to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness. This is the concept of mindset #2, a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset like mindset #1. Teaching everything in the books is to establish students’ mindset #1, a fixed mindset in which teachers view students’ talents and abilities as fixed. The mindset #2, on the other hand, is a growth mindset, in which teachers view students with potential and full of opportunity. The attitude of mindset will affect all areas of our life.

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