Successful exams despite corona

Two metres between the chairs, hand sanitiser on the tables, and requirements for both students and exam supervisors to show Covid passports and wear face masks. In order to avoid the spread of infection, extra precautions were taken at January's on-site exams. And it appears that the precautionary measures have worked, as all of the exams were held without any demonstrable spread of infection, says Vice-dean for Education Lise Wogensen Bach:

"We transferred the majority of exams online, but there are some exams, such as those with practical or clinical content and written exams with no aids permitted, where it’s simply not academically appropriate to transfer them. So we had to choose between fundamentally altering the students' exams – or making sure that the students were able to take their exams under safe conditions. And I'm pleased that we managed to do this.”

The decision to hold on-site exams was met by protests from many students, and Lise Wogensen Bach understands the students' concerns before the exams.

"I can understand why it might seem crazy to bring many students together when you first hear it. But we held the exams spread out across several rooms, with two metres between each student as far as possible, and face masks required when not sitting down. There was also good ventilation and other precautions. My clear impression is that once the students showed up and actually experienced the precautions, their exams were held quietly and calmly, and most importantly of all: without any significant spread of infection."

A concerted effort

The fact that it was possible to hold the exams in a responsible way was due to, among other things, a great effort and coordination in the study administration, says Lise Wogensen Bach:

"It's a huge task to get so many students to take exams in a safe manner. Not least in a situation where the guidelines from the authorities are constantly changing. The studies administration has had to spread the students out over several rooms, and ensure that the requirements for Covid passports were complied with and all precautions were followed. It’s been a really impressive accomplishment."

The Vice-Dean also has praise for the voluntary exam supervisors.

"Representatives from the management visited the examination rooms on several occasions and saw for themselves how the voluntary exam supervisors ensured everything went smoothly. They were good at reminding the students to keep their distance – both before and after the exam, and they managed the face mask, gloves and hand sanitizer requirements without any problems. They’ve certainly also had an important role in ensuring that we were able to hold the exams under safe conditions."

Last but not least, the students should also be praised for following all the guidelines, says Lise Wogensen Bach. However, the on-site exams have had a price: preliminary figures show that three per cent of the students have been absent from their exams, compared to a normal average of 1.9 per cent, and in future the students will be more involved in such decisions.

"We will now form a student forum across the study programmes with which we can continuously engage in dialogue with during emergency situations. Another thing we need to improve is our communication, so as to avoid misunderstandings," concludes Lise Wogensen Bach.

FACTS

27 exams were held as in-person exams.
132 exams were held in an online format.
Approximately three per cent of the students were absent from the exams. For winter exams, the absence rate is normally 1.9 per cent. 

CONTACT

Vice-dean for Education Lise Wogensen Bach
Phone: (+45) 8715 2012
Mobile: (+45) 2548 8522
Email: lwb@au.dk