Final-year medicine students suspected of cheating in online exams could face a follow-up oral assessment to check if their performance stacks up, among several strict regulations to preserve the integrity of the assessments, The University Times has learned.
Medicine students in their final year this week sat real-time online exams, with virtual invigilation through Zoom that meant some could be asked to share their screen at any time, according to an internal document obtained by The University Times.
Before sitting the exams, students signed an “honour declaration” promising to abide by the regulations, according to a memorandum approved by Trinity’s University Council on Wednesday.
Students were split into groups of between 10 and 12 and monitored over Zoom by invigilators. The invigilators asked students to show them their work environment, observed them throughout the exam and were able to ask them to share their screen at any time.
Students had to log on before the exam and give invigilators a virtual tour of their working environment. They were allowed a five-minute bathroom break.
If students are suspected of cheating, the School of Medicine will ask them to sit a “viva” – or oral – exam, to see if their understanding of the subject matches what they have written in their exam.
In an email statement to The University Times, Prof Joseph Harbison, the director of undergraduate teaching and learning in the School of Medicine said: “The Final Medicine exams are both academic professional exams and have to be credited by both the University and the Irish Medical Council.”
“They also have to be acknowledged as valid by registration bodies around the world from Singapore to the US and Canada. That means that we have very little leeway in altering standards or modifying thresholds.”
“Exams in the other years have less strict rules than in Final Med because they’ll have other assessments before they’re allowed on to the wards to work with sick people.”
The memorandum, presented by Senior Lecturer Kevin Mitchell, Vice-Provost Jurgen Barkhoff and Dean of Graduate Studies Neville Cox, acknowledged that “the setting up of real-time invigilation in the current crisis remains problematic, time-consuming and labour-intensive”.
Students will have to wait an extra three weeks to hear the results of their summer assessments, as a result of the extension of the exam period and the slew of alternative assessment methods Trinity has put in place.
Extracts of the document reveal that Trinity has pushed back the release of students’ marks and will start releasing them on Monday, June 15th.
The deadline for the return of marks by markers – including courts of examiners – is the Friday before, June 12th.
The document, approved by Council yesterday, says that the date for return of marks must “naturally be pushed at least two weeks later than it would have been”, and proposes extending the period for an additional, third week to account for the difficult circumstances facing many staff members at this time”.
Marking was previously due to take place in a three-week period that ended on Friday, May 22nd.
