USU needs a testing center
My roommate came home from class the other day a little frustrated. He had just finished a monster of an exam, one of those where you’re grateful to be done with it, but you still have that sick, failing feeling in your stomach.The sad thing is that he felt he knew the material too. The problem: he just ran out of time.
Too bad, so sad.
Now, I don’t believe we should have limitless time for exams. Besides, there comes a point where extra time just won’t do you any good. But I am an advocate of flexibility. If you need more time, take it.
You see, my roommate wanted more time than some of his peers. As a fellow student, I wouldn’t feel cheated because such an allowance was given to a classmate, so long as additional time is available to all. After all, maybe one day I’ll need a little extra time on an exam too.
Most USU students currently take exams during their regularly scheduled class times. The professors act as proctors, maybe answering a question or two, but mostly, they just sit there sleeping or vigilantly watching for cheaters. For lots of professors, I’m sure it’s just a waste of time. Asking for a few extra minutes, consequently, just wastes more of their time. So, most are hardliners. One hour, no more.
To combat such a problem, many professors already schedule quizzes and exams via WebCT. The program offers more flexibility to students and doesn’t clog up already busy class time. If it helps, why not make it an across-the-board change?
WebCT might not work. It’s tough to monitor cheating since most exams are therefore allowed to be open-book. And an essay exam might be a real pickle.
So, I say, let’s create a testing center. Not only would it benefit students, but it would also free up more classroom time for professors.
I wrote an article recently about why the university deserves a fall break – a day or two free from school at around this time of year. Apparently, a few professors had qualms about the big idea, though, by the way, I was advocating the break for them, too. It would steal away valuable hours of their lecture time – more like one valuable hour, but who’s counting. They are already cramming everything in as it is. They need all the lecture time they can get. If that is a legitimate concern, then why not create a testing center here on campus? Give back professors their classroom time.
Take the 15,000 students we have at Utah State in Logan and assume they take an average of four classes each. Then, assume each class has an average of three, hour-long exams a semester. That being said, a testing center would save the university 360,000 hours of lecture time a year.
Then, you can give me a fall break and I’ll stop my crying.
I don’t think a required hour or two outside of class to take an exam is too burdensome on students. We are supposed to be spending two hours outside of class for every hour inside of it anyway.
With a testing center, professors would no longer be handcuffed into creating an exam to perfectly fit into a 50-minute block. Some tests could take as long as two or three hours if need be – not that I’m advocating that sort of change. Or better yet, give the same exam but allow some students, like my roommate, to take the additional time they need.
In addition, tests can be available to students for several days, rather than just that one-hour class period. Students can take the exam at their own convenience. No longer do professors need to include in their syllabus a nasty warning about missing exams. If you have an emergency, you can just take it tomorrow.
It seems like a good solution to me. We would have to scrounge up a place to house it, but I believe the benefits would warrant the inconvenience. After all, both students and professors would stand to benefit.
As would my roommate.
Jon Cox is a senior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to jcox@cc.usu.edu.