Tools and Work Aids For lecturers

Digital exams

The University of Bern offers their lecturers the option to create, conduct and score, written on-site exams using digital tools. Two platforms are available for this purpose:

evaexam (bubble sheet exams)

iliasEXAM

We strongly recommend that examiners allow sufficient time for the preparation of digital exams, especially before the first use, in order to familiarize themselves with the respective platform, to develop an appropriate concept for the exam, and to do a test run.

For information on ways to implement formative assessments, please refer to Teaching situations / Assess performances.

Pros and cons of digital exams
evaexam vs. iliasEXAM

Pros and cons of digital exams

Pros	Cons
Less work, especially with large groups	Require digital skills of the examiner
Quicker scoring and grading	More complex initial creation
Inclusion of media	More susceptible to cheating when conducted digitally
More varied question types (e.g. ordering question)	Risk of technical errors, backup plan necessary when conducted digitally
Easier switch to remote exams	Accessibility not always guaranteed
Automatic, detailed reporting
Sustainability

evaexam vs. iliasEXAM

.
	evaexam (bubble sheet exams)	iliasEXAM
Didactical/technical
Suitability	Assessment of factual knowledge (closed book) with a high number of participants	Assessing competencies at higher taxonomy levels Practice-oriented assessments Open book exams Exams with media-based exam questions
Available media	Images	Images Audio Video
Available question types	Single choice Kprim choice (Multiple choice)¹ True-false question Matching question Long menu question Essay question (open, open segmented)	Single choice Kprim choice Multiple choice² True-false question² Order question Long menu question Essay question File upload
Structuring questions	Questions can be grouped	No questions groups
Randomizing questions	Randomizing per version: Order of groups of questions Order of questions within a group Order of answer options within each question Order of questions independent of group	Randomizing per student: Order of questions within the exam Order of answer options within each question
Administrative
Access	evaexam (after requesting an account)	iliasEXAM
Registering the exam	-	Registration form deadline: 14 days before the exam
Creation of the exam	Digital	Digital
Conduction of the exam	On-site Paper	On-site or remote Online ("bring your own device")
Scoring of the exam	Automatic³	Automatic³

¹ Should be avoided due to potentially incorrect scoring. You can find more information on this here.

¹ Through work arounds with other question types.

² No automatic scoring for question types «Essay question» and «File upload».

News

iliasEXAM documents in English

The iliasEXAM documents are now available in English. We translated our manuals, the checklist, and the overview of exam questions. In addition, there is now an English version of the tutorial for students.

evaexam Update

In mid-October 2022 evaexam will be updated to the latest version 9.0. The changes in the new version are mainly related to the user interface: it is now more modern and responsive. In terms of functionality, nothing fundamental changes with the new version.

Public scanning station

The evaexam scanning station is now freely accessible in HUB 325 at H6 (3rd floor west), so that exams can be scanned there autonomously without the need to make an appointment. Nevertheless the scanning station should be booked. Detailed bilingual instructions (GER/ENG) are available and provided on site; the login data can be requested at scanpruefung.ilub@unibe.ch. Of course, we are still available to help with any problems.

iliasEXAM with audio and video

Starting in spring semester 2022, it will be possible to integrate audio and video into exam questions on iliasEXAM. This way, content that is based on auditory or moving visual materials can be incorporated into exams. Potential applications for this include listening comprehension in foreign languages, phonetic details in linguistics, movement sequences in sports science, etc. Embedding audio and video into a question works via the page editor of the respective question. However, since we have no experience yet regarding the use of these media in exams, we strongly recommend that you do a test run with your students before conducting the actual exam.

iliasEXAM playground

For those who are not yet sure whether iliasEXAM is the right tool for their exam, a digital playground is now available for you to explore. Here you can experiment in a protected space with different question types, try out different settings and their consequences, and generally familiarize yourself with the tool.

Pilot phase successfully completed

In a pilot phase in fall semester 2021, iliasEXAM was put through its paces in several (trial) exams with a wide range of requirements. Because exams were generally supposed to be conducted online and remotely as of January 10, iliasEXAM was also used in remote mode for some of these exams. During all exams, the performance of the platform was closely monitored and no limitations in capacity were detected, even with a very high number of participants. A survey of lecturers who used iliasEXAM in fall semester 2021 indicates a very high overall satisfaction with iliasEXAM, as well as a very high likelihood of reuse. Thus, iliasEXAM has successfully taken off and can be utilized more frequently in the future.