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Law School Exams Can’t Live With ‘Em Can’t Live Without ‘Em Colleen Clish, Hamline University Heather Alderfer, Yale University Law School Terese Chenier, Western New England University School of Law

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Law School Exams

Can’t Live With ‘Em Can’t Live Without ‘Em

Colleen Clish, Hamline University Heather Alderfer, Yale University Law School Terese Chenier, Western New England University School of Law

In the Beginning:

• First year and second year evening exams are always manually scheduled.

• Seating limitations • Separating typists and writers ( No longer) • Senior exams need to be first in order to leave enough time to

collect grades. • OIT support at all times • Very little issued with new software EXAMSOFT

Creating exam schedule prior to registration ???

• registering for courses that will avoid conflicts • Students could gain extra study time by

registering for courses that create a conflict. • Without registration data, use of exam

scheduling software is not possible.

Create exam schedule after registration but prior to drop/add???

• Allows the creation of a better exam schedule • Allows students to change their schedule to avoid a

difficult exam schedule • Having registration data will allow the use of exam

scheduling software which makes creating the schedule easier and able to run simulations

• Once students change their schedule, exam scheduling situations/conflicts can be created that initially didn’t exist.

Self-scheduled exams

• Set times for exams: For ex: 9:00am, 1:00pm • Students come to registrar’s office to sign up

for a specific exam • Proctored exams in assigned rooms • All exams remain anonymous

Rules for Law School Exams

How often are the rules updated? NO PDA’s, cell phones, MP3 Players, electronic devices etc. Once exams are started

Questions on an exam timing of the exam students who enter the exam room late Only one student leaves a room at a time

Students are responsible to knowing the rules…. but at Western New England University School of Law, they are read aloud before beginning each exam. Covers the basis for authorized materials for the exam

Exam-specific rules fall into two categories:

1. Exams administered by Proctors – Coversheet with instructions – Rules that apply to only that

particular exam – Scantron Sheets – Answer limits – Authorized material allowed

2. Rules for take-home exams must be reviewed by whoever gives the exam, e.g. Registrar’s Office, before students are informed.

Cheating on exams

1. Proctors can only report what they can see. They are more effective as a deterrent to cheating. – Student who keeps writing after time to stop has been announced – Unauthorized material

2. The Honor Code and competitive grading are reasons why students will report on cheating they have witnessed.

3. Take-home exams are most vulnerable to cheating but timed exams provide the most motivation to cheat.

Special Situations “Births, deaths, illness, surgery, victims of crime”

What to do? •Notify administrator before exams, if possible, of a definitely or potentially rescheduled or late exam preserving the anonymity of the student. •If there is death in family we require a copy of the obituary. •Short term illnesses – will require a note from a doctor with diagnosis in order to reschedule an exam. •More serious illnesses such as: MS, cancer treatment, Crohn’s Disease, etc. Requires medical documentation in order to reschedule out of the exam period. •Extreme cases where student cannot come back to the school their exams may be sent to them with Law School Rules attached and a statement to be signed by the student confirming all rules were followed. •Victims of crime may include stolen cars, computer, books, notes, etc. We will take all this into consideration when rescheduling exams and we have borrowed books from library or the Professor in order for the student to take his/her exam.

Proctors •Who are they? STAFF TEMP AGENCY RETIREES STUDENTS •How much are they paid?

•Training for proctors oKeep time oWatch for Cheating oQuestions on the exams oReading and understanding the Professors instructions for exam. oCounting Exams to match the number of students in room oTimesheets – special part-time, I-9, 1040 oEvacuation – Fire Alarm procedures

•Scheduling – re-scheduling •Problems- for ex: sick, accident, appt. cannot proctor at last minute

oWhat is the next plan? •Helpful Hints for proctors -- REMAIN CALM – DON’T PANIC

Faculty •Are you giving an exam? Yes or no •Is your exam take home or does it require a proctor? •Instructions for take home exam must be shown to Registrar’s Office •Full-time faculty exams vs. adjunct faculty exams •Multiple Choice exams – scantron sheet •Grading sheets for classes •Make-up exams and sending them to the Prof. - keeping student exam anynomous

•Mistakes in Exams

•Must have exam at least one week before exams start if possible for preparation. •Must be present for their exam or give a phone number in case of questions on exam.

Weather Cancellations • TV radio, Banner on Website • Rescheduling – make up exam due to weather is asap and running list of who,

what, where and when

• Notification is via e-mail and banner running on Western New England College website.

• Bring shovel, gloves, boots – in case of getting plowed in!

Exam Security

• Faculty assistants prepare exams and attach a uniform top sheet with exam instructions

• Duplicating – time stamp – only given to employee (no student workers can

handle the exam) • Packaging and shipped back to Student Records Office signed sealed and

delivered. • At night locked in a secure spot • All cabinets locked up no exams are to be left out.

Take-Home Exams

• Faculty inform the Registrar that an exam is a take-home exam

• Distribution and collection of take-home

exams.

Take Home TWEN vs. SofTest

TWEN--advantages •Don't need special software •Faculty (or assistants) can open and print submissions themselves

TWEN--disadvantages •Students must remember their exam numbers •We can't track the exams •False positive

SofTest--advantages •Exam number is automatically printed on exam file •Exam tracking •ExamSoft support

SofTest disadvantages •Must rely on students to read instructions •2-3 calls per day from students who claim not to have the password

Take Home Best Practices

• Students have the option of paper. • For electronic exams, we use SofTest or TWEN,

but never both for the same exam. Faculty decide which.

• Take homes should last 24 hours minimum • Students told to print as a back up • Start during our office hours

ADA accommodations • More, and more complex every year • ABA House of Delegates passed resolution 111

(http://www.abanow.org/2012/01/2012mm111/) in February, urging LSAC and other law school admission test administrators to provide exam accommodations for a test taker with a disability and to stop flagging scores of exams taking with accommodations

• It’s not going to get any easier. • We have a staff of four during exams, one person is

almost completely dedicated to variance exams. Scheduling variance takes roughly the same amount of time as the rest of the exams.

ADA Accommodation Process • Student takes diagnosis to Disability Services Office to

get approved for accommodations and then Asst. Dean of Students is notified

• Student must apply for accommodation before deadline set (2 weeks in advance of exams)

• Dean of Students notifies my office • Variances scheduled by my office. They start at a

different time from the other exams, and we use library study rooms and conference rooms. Unfortunately, none are soundproof.

Working With Disability Services Office

• One dedicated professional focused on UG • Learning law school is different • Exams are anonymous, secure and much

longer than undergraduate exams • Students are ranked • Not just success in law school, but passing the

bar exam

Use of Laptops for Exams (EXAMSOFT)

• Registration application submitted by students to use laptops

• Practice Test to ensure the software works (best practice, surprisingly, is sarcasm)

• Information sessions for laptop users • Changed software because most States are

allowing the students to type using EXAMSOFT TO TAKE THE BAR OVER 35 STATES.

Sarcastic Mock Exam Question 1

Q: The Code of Conduct prohibits which of the following during an exam?

A: Eating. B: Using the restroom. We suggest adult

diapers instead. C: Using any electronic device other than a

computer running SofTest, which inculdes answering a cell phone.

D: All of the above.

Sarcastic Mock Exam Question 2

Q: Where can you find your exam number? A: Ask the professor. B: Piperline under Student Detail Schedule. C: Make one up and reveal it after you find

your grade is missing. D: None of the above

More Mock Exam Snark

Q: Exceeding the exam time limit is A: A violation of the code of conduct and will

result in a standard grade penalty or a code of conduct investigation.

B: Punishable by death. C: A safe risk. D: The name of a poorly understood early 90s

punk rock band.

And a Final Mock Exam Question

Q: With which of the following statements did you indicate agreement when you clicked OK at the start of the exam?

A: I understand that I have a duty to ensure my computer is in proper working condition before the exam, and that I have followed all installation instructions and adequately familiarized myself with the software.

B: ExamSoft and Hamline University are completely responsible for damages arising from the use of this software.

C: I have no idea. I never read anything before I agree with it. D: You know, you can look at the notices by clicking the view notices

icon at the top and then you'll be sure to get this one right. E: I am a large fish.

Questions

Your turn

What’s your best exam story?