Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi was compelled by 170 Delhi University professors to not hold an online open-book exam method, keeping in mind the risks compromising the sanctity of the examination process.
Delhi University had ordered for open book exams if the situation of the pandemic is not suitable for regular exams. This was opposed by many teachers as well as students. To curb the method, an online campaign was launched by the opposition.
In the letter to the VC by the teachers, they gave alternative methods Luke other colleges of marking each student based on his/her internal assessments.
“The overall grade of the students should thus be the one achieved till the last semester… Many universities in the US are following this or a similar method,” they said in the letter. They can even include grades of the last semester and the internal assessments collectively. “There are also serious issues about the sanctity of the exams.
As this is designed to be online examinations, how will the university ensure that the answers that the students are uploading are not copied from each other (through parallel internet communication) or dictated by someone else? “One of the serious issues here is that a teacher or a student can be pressurized or incentivized’ in various forms to reveal the correct answer since the university will be in no position to stop parallel communication while the examination is on.”
The teachers believe this a method to be an unjustified way of evaluating students.
They pointed out how this will be advantageous to students with better e-resources. They also brought into consideration how many students don’t have the required software packages.
