The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Question bank for varsity exams mooted

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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Question bank for varsity exams mooted

Staff Reporter

Integrity of exams to be maintained
Viva voce to be videotaped

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Examination Reforms Committee set up by the Kerala State Higher Education Council has called for the constitution of a task force to plan the formation of a centralised question bank for university examinations in the State.

The final report of the eight-member committee headed by Jacob Tharu, former Professor at the Centre for Testing and Evaluation at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), was submitted to the council on Friday. The report can be accessed on the website www.kshec.kerala.gov.in

The question bank should have a State-level component and separate components for individual universities. As part of measures to maintain the integrity of the examination system, videotaping of viva voce examinations should be considered and initiated in a phased manner. Similarly, the conduct of examinations, opening of question paper packets and the packing of answer scripts should be videotaped, the report says.

Answer sheets should be bar-coded. The possibility of reaching question papers electronically to local centres should be explored. The question papers could then be printed at the centres.

The approved schemes for internal assessment in various college departments should be made available to students in a clear form. Facilities for dealing with difficulties or grievances relating to internal assessment should be available to students.

In order to improve assessment practices, universities should mandate the creation of “guidelines relating to the scope and structure of the syllabus statement of each separate course.” The syllabus statement for each course prepared by the board of study concerned should include a detailed note on the recommended assessment scheme, especially the ‘internal' component, the report says.

The final report reiterates and expands on certain recommendations made in the final draft report submitted in October 2010.

Members of boards should be trained in curriculum design and educational technology. A permanent facility for this purpose should be set up by each university. All teachers need to be given training in assessment and educational technology.

Universities should try out variations in the design and physical structure of questions papers and answer booklets. These may include separate sections for objective-type questions, short answer and essay questions, restricted response space to encourage precision, timed sections, and flip-reduced answer sheets, the committee says.

Question papers should be set and answer sheets evaluated in a modular manner by a team of teachers.

A clear policy for dealing with unfair practices relating to Internal Assessment should be evolved and put in place at the college level, the report says.

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