Extra exam time proposed for Science & Engineering students

Eliot Rosewater

3rd and 4th year students of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Food Science will have received an email about a proposal to extend the exam time for all 5 credit modules within the Faculty to 2 hours (from 1 and a half). The email asks SEFS students to vote in a referendum. There doesn't seem to be any clear way for interested students to provide the only kind of feedback that's actually important in my opinion (especially in a university): arguments for and against that provide reasons for one's position, not just box ticking.

What do people here think of it?



My vote is "no" at the moment (you can change it up to closing date). I think the grounds for the move are unsubstantial. Some students have complained about the shortage of time - but people are always going to complain about being short of time in an exam. Increasing time won't disproportionately benefit those who are struggling at the moment - it will benefit everyone. Everyone's grade will go up. This is exactly grade inflation, no?

I think the proper solution would be to take a serious look at the complaints coming in. How many of them are genuine, and how many of them are just students pee-ed of they didn't do as well as they wanted? If certain students have serious issues with exam taking, such as, say, abnormal levels of stress that make them work below par in an exam, there is a good argument for those particular students to be given extra time. I'm finding it hard to see how this doesn't just amount to grade inflation though.

quietsailor

There seems to be a subject in every year & for each type of the engineering courses that distorts the course. What I mean is that to pass the subject unless you are incredibly clued in on that subject requires a lot of study for that subject above and beyond the other subjects

These are the ones I found hard and struggled with, i'm sure for some people they were easy.
MA1008 Calculus and Linear Algebra for Engineers in first year
EE2008 in second year - Signals and Systems.

You panic about these - during the year and at exam time and they loom large in your mind, so much so you don't study enough for the other subjects and need more time. Both of those subjects were, if not "rushed through" by their lecturers certainly lectured at an extremely fast pace, EE2008 had to use some hours in the study month last year to actually complete the course.

Knifey Spoony

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

Increasing time won't disproportionately benefit those who are struggling at the moment - it will benefit everyone. Everyone's grade will go up. This is exactly grade inflation, no?

Surely you either now what you know or you don't, no amount of extra time is going to change that.

Now, having extra time to write down what you do know, which you may not have time to do is only fair isn't it? Getting marks for writting down what you do know and is correct can only be right and not grade inflation.

I know that last year I was caught for time in more than two tests (RF Circuits and EMF especially) where I know that if I had more time I would have recieved extra marks. Especially in RF, as I remember writing flat out for the hour and a half but just simply ran out of time, leaving half a question unfinished even though I did know how to complete it.

I will be ticking yes, taking some of the stress out of trying to think about what I am writing down and having a chance to correct a long proof if I go wrong in it's deivation can only be a good thing and not will necessarily be grade inflation.

But, I do agree that there are many other factors that lead to extra stress at exam time that should be looked at and ticking a box isn't feedback enough on the subject.

starlit

Personally I would vote 'yes' on this matter. I'd be all in favour of it to give every exam student a chance to do well in an exam. You be more relaxed and not as tense if the exam was given a longer time frame, you go into it more at ease given you a chance to read the paper inside out to get your thoughts together. You might not think you can answer a question but in time things will come back to you. Keep on writing as much relevant info as possible. Even if its just code get as much of it laid out and correct as possible.

Say for formulas, jot down them before hand on paper before starting to write, it be less hassle to remember later in the exam. I have completed many exams in my time and I would say that having as much time needed an allocated to complete an exam to the best of your ability regardless how long it takes you to complete the questions and no matter how intense the exam is a propose 2 hour exam would be of benefit to a certain number of students. Students still cannot leave the exam room/hall until an hour has passed, I don't think an extra half hour-hour staying in the exam hall wouldn't hurt.

Personally I always find I be caught for time but try to get as much down on paper as much as possible, time flies on my in exams one minute I have my head down the next have to stop writing. Rarely have I had to stop and think only the odd time if there is information overload to write down to get my thoughts together. Generally end up writing for the whole allotted time for the exam! I often don't stop writing till the end. Rarely finished before the time except 5-30 mins before time was up depending on the exam. Often been one of the last ones to finish exams too! I haven't the best time management sometimes when it comes to exams but I generally try to get as much written down and answer as many questions possible.

In some more detailed modules you don't have enough time in an hour and a half exam for certain modules. I did a computer science related course in UCC and a business and IT related course in ITTralee, I have noticed the difference when it comes to time management in exam situations in both colleges. Some tend to be an hour and a half (too short in my opinion) 2 to 2 and a half hours reasonable time frame, 3 hours maximum be ideal for the majority of subjects to give you a good chance to pass your exam as things you have learnt will take time to remember and put pen to paper.

That is just my opinion and two cents on the matter as I have experience of various time frames for various exams from two different colleges.

Eliot Rosewater

Knifey Spoony wrote: »

Surely you either now what you know or you don't, no amount of extra time is going to change that.

In fairness, exams are hardly a simple as that. Having extra time in the exam would allow you to recheck existing questions, answer new ones, remember more stuff etc.

Knifey Spoony wrote: »

Now, having extra time to write down what you do know, which you may not have time to do is only fair isn't it? Getting marks for writting down what you do know and is correct can only be right and not grade inflation.

The issue of whether or not the increase in grades would be justified (which is what you are arguing here) is not relevant: if everyone's grades go up then that's grade inflation, by definition. So you have to argue that this grade inflation is justified. Given the evidence for grade inflation in Irish universities in the past years I think any more is not acceptable. Companies and top universities are aware of this, and if UCC gets a reputation for grade inflation it will become more difficult for UCC graduates to find employment/graduate study.

Grades aren't really objective, either. If you get 5% extra, but everyone in your class does too, you actually haven't gained anything. There's a strong argument to be made that the education system loses out though. One of the purposes of exams is to rank people in classes. If everyone's grades go up then this stops working: in a world where everyone gets over 60%, say, it becomes more and more difficult to tell who's actually good at what they're doing.

confusticated

I think it'd be interesting to see if everyone's grade does actually go up though. I mean, I've seen some people consistently leave exams early, and they're some of the higher achievers and would get really good results, so an extra half an hour is unlikely to make any difference to them. On the other hand, I've seen people leave early because they just didn't know any more and had answered everything they could. Extra time won't make any difference to these two groups. I do know these groups aren't the majority and also that they might change from one exam to the next, but I think difficulty of the questions should be the thing to differentiate grades moreso than the writing speed of the students.

I agree they should have done a more in-depth survey though, I wonder why it was brought up or was it just Paddy McCarthy started it all up himself.