Assessment

Final Exams

Two main points to consider taken from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence:

• An exam or assessment should not be canceled. Changing the format of the exam or assessment is acceptable. Students should be provided advance written notification of the change.
• Final exams must be administered at the time listed in the Final Exam Schedule unless the format of the final assessment has been changed (e.g., open book/note or final paper).

Note that there are Exam Proctoring Options for those interested in considering exam proctoring.

Considerations for General Exam Setup (adapted from the processes used by Smeal’s Business Core Office):

• Include an Exam Integrity Agreement in Exam Instructions:

  Business Core Exam Integrity AgreementAs a Penn State student and future professional, the highest level of professional ethical conduct and academic honesty are expected on this exam. Failure to comply with Penn State Academic Integrity requirements may result in a 0 for this exam, reduction in course grade and/or “F” in course at the discretion of the course instructor.

  I understand that any form of academic dishonesty, including any forms of cheating (using a cellphone, smart watch, smart devices, unauthorized notes, web search engines, communicating with others, etc.), fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty plagiarism, will not be tolerated and after several infractions, could result in serious sanctions, including an XF for the course, or suspension or expulsion from the university.

  By moving forward and starting my exam, I am stating that I understand the policies and vow to adhere to them.

  You’re on your honor: Nearly 100 Smeal Honor Code violations were reported last year, including cheating on exams. Sanctions ranged from a grade reduction on the exam, to a failing grade for the course, to dismissal from the college all together. Please think long and hard before you engage in any behavior that could be deemed as unethical.

  Conduct your business with integrity. Honor the code.

  We, the Smeal College of Business Community, aspire to the highest ethical standards and will hold each other accountable to them. We will not engage in any action that is improper or that creates the appearance of impropriety in our academic lives, and we intend to hold to this standard in our future careers.

• Add an academic integrity question in its own question group worth zero points:
  • Needs to be in its own question group
  • Needs to be worth zero points
  • Should be question #1 (so everyone gets it first)
  • “_______Your Name______affirm that I have neither given, received, nor witnessed unauthorized aid on this deliverable and have completed this work honestly and according to the professor’s guidelines.” Please type your name to answer the academic integrity pledge question.
• Send out announcements to students providing exam details.
• Set up your Canvas exam formatting (open note/book, timed, available from/until, one question at a time, shuffle).
• Shorten the testing window (either during class/one time in the evening).
• Consider a testing window for final exams (such as 7am-12pm). Remember that your students may be geographically dispersed.

Learn about Pulling Final Grades into LionPath from Canvas.