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The anger among business students is great. This week they should have taken the semester exams at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in Winterthur. But on Friday night they got an email from the principal: All face-to-face exams fail. They will be postponed until March on short notice and then will be held online.
They have missed seven days of paid vacation, which he used to learn, a business student is upset. “The psyche of the students suffers a lot from Corona’s measures,” complains one student. Due to the short-term postponement, you can’t even do semi-annual rest work.
Last minute decision
Students cannot understand that the ZHAW has not prepared for the online exams despite the tense epidemiological situation. There are tests that were planned online from the beginning, but by no means all. Therefore, some students voluntarily isolated themselves before exams to keep the risk of missing appointments due to quarantine as low as possible.
The university decided to switch to remote exams “for precautionary reasons and to protect health,” says ZHAW spokeswoman Bettina Mack. This “alternative plan” had been prepared in recent weeks and has now been put into practice “after very careful consideration.” “This was not an easy decision because we are aware of the consequences for the students involved.” The fact that tests can only be done in March is because they first have to be completely redesigned.
More than 350 students in one room
Also in other universities, the organization of exams causes a lack of understanding among students. In some faculties and departments, face-to-face exams are held despite Corona’s situation. Last Friday, for example, more than 350 medical students from the University of Bern sat in a room at the Bernexpo fairgrounds and wrote a four-hour exam. Ironically, the medical school has made an exception to the university-wide directive that exams must generally be taken online, which not all students can understand.
The faculty stipulates that you must stay home when you are sick, advises a fourth-year medical student. “But I’m not sure that all students will stay away from the exam after a long learning phase.”
On-site inspections are the exception
Also at the University of Zurich, 15 of the 17 medical examinations are performed on site. “Certain exams with a practical part can only be taken in person, such as federal exams in the medical field,” the university explains the decision. Overall, 90 percent of the University of Zurich exams this semester would be written online.
The University of Bern also emphasizes that face-to-face exams are the exception. They would only be carried out if an online performance review was “very problematic or not at all”. The university has also verified whether the protection concept should be strengthened in light of the latest developments, the media office announced. But it was decided “that the strict protection measures already taken are sufficient.” Students must wear masks, keep their distance, and the exhibition rooms are well ventilated.
St. Gallen sticks to face-to-face exams
At the University of St. Gallen, face-to-face exams are not the exception, but the rule. The vast majority of students would like that, so the university’s explanation to FM1 Today.
Most of the St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences exams are also written on site. Unlike the University of Bern, a maximum of 50 people per room is admitted at both universities in eastern Switzerland.
Monitored by camera
In addition to the effort that goes into organizing and designing online exams, one reason to stick to face-to-face exams is that online exams pose a much higher risk of cheating and fraud. After the last phase of examinations, the first in online mode, the ZHAW even announced a new position in the legal service for a limited period because there were many disciplinary procedures against Bschiss students that had to be dealt with.
The following applies: trust is good, control is better. Some teachers adjust exams to make cheating more difficult. At the Chur University of Applied Sciences or at the University of Lucerne, for example, students must be filmed on the computer webcam or cell phone during the exam.
