The exams in the upcoming exam period will take place as “electronic exams”, i.e. online and distance exams. They can have different formats, e.g. open book exam, take home exam, exams via the virtual exam system (VIPS exam) and oral exams. Open book and take home exams will be realised using Stud.IP (or OwnCloud) to download and upload files. Exams held via the virtual exam system (VIPS exams) will be taken on the Stud.IP platform.
The following information is based on FUAS’ Regulations on the carrying out of “electronic exams” (available in German only), i.e. online and distance exams.
Please keep in mind that the current situation is a new and challenging one for all of us. We are doing everything we can to ensure that our systems will run smoothly and stably. Yet we ask everyone to be patient and flexible so that we can make it through this exam period successfully.
Permissible software systems
Stud.IP is the central system used for student management and distributing assignments. (If Moodle has already been used in the course of the semester and/or earlier, Moodle can be used, too, in individual cases.)
Students use Stud.IP or OwnCloud to hand in exam results and assignments.
If video conferencing tools are used for invigilation purposes, BigBlueButton (integrated in Stud.IP) and Webex are the only systems permitted.
How examiners can prepare an online exam (open book and take home exams)
Set up a new course “exam for the module XY”, the course type should be “Online Prüfung”. (This will be possible from 30 January 2021.) The default mode of this course type will be for students to sign up prelimarily. To use this option, “preliminary enrolment” must be selected as the registration mode under “access permission”. This preliminary enrolment does not mean that a student can take an exam. Examiners will have to give students access to the course (individually or via the group mode) first. Alternatively, examiners can add those students who have registered for an exam as participants to a course.
For open book and take home exams examiners should set up a folder for the exam assignments in Stud.IP. Examiners should set up a folder for the exam assignments in Stud.IP; it should be a time-controlled folder with “w write” selected under read/write rights. Setting up a folder like this will enable students to upload their files without other students being able to see these files; i.e. the declaration of authorship and the files containing solutions ands exam results if the exam is an open book or take home exam.
Alternatively, a file drop folder in OwnCloud can be used for this purpose.
If examiners want to use a video call for invigilation purposes, they will set up a room in Webex or Stud.IP.
We recommend that examiners test the technical procedure of the exam with their students before the exam actually takes place.
Special cases
If exams are scheduled for a course held in the summer semester, students should register for these “old” courses. This will allow examiners to communicate with their students (especially to communicate the form of assessment).
How students can prepare for an online exam (open book and take home exams)
Download the declaration of authorship, print it, fill it out (this must be done by hand) and scan it. By filling out this form and submitting it you confirm that it was you who took the exam and you had no help from others and did not use resources which are not permissible. This declaration also serves to identify the examinee and must be handed in at the end of each electronic exam.
Make sure that you have enrolled in the Stud.IP course for the exam you are taking and test any technical tools you may need (e.g. video conferencing system).
How the online exam will take place (open book)
The examiner will make the exam assignments available via Stud.IP at the designated starting time of the exam (or the files will be made available automatically if a time-controlled folder is being used). Students will be able to download the files from Stud.IP.
You will complete the tasks and/or assignment in handwritten form on paper – examiners may ask for their exam to be submitted in other electronic forms. The examinee’s name, student ID number, the number of the task/question completed and the page number must be included on each sheet of paper. This is only necessary for those exams that need to be uploaded in order to be graded.
The students will take a picture of their exam sheets and upload the files to Stud.IP after completing the exam or at the end of the designated time the exam is to be completed in. Alternatively, a personalised folder in OwnCloud can be used. The examiner may allow for files to be submitted in electronic form.
Students must also upload the declaration of authorship into the folder. This declaration also serves to identify the examinee. If this declaration is not uploaded, the exam will not count as attempted.
As a student taking an exam, please make sure that the resolution you take your pictures in is not too high to reduce the data volume.
To ensure that all exam results handed in can be matched to the right student, the files must be named in the following manner: Last name_first name_studentIDno.pdf (If more than one file is uploaded, the file names should include numbers or similar).
Invigilation via video calls
An invigilation via video calls is not compulsory. Where possible, examiners are asked to abstain from an invigilation via video call.
If an examiner decides for an invigilation via video call, students must place their camera so that the invigilator can see both their face and their hands. This may not be possible at all times. At the request of the invigilator examinees must change the position of their camera and turn their microphone on.
How examiners can prepare a VIPS exam
Set up a course in Stud.IP, the course type should be exam. When setting up a BBB room, disable the private chat and shared notes functions. Add your students to this event.
Students taking a VIPS exam must also provide a declaration of authorship to verify their identity. For this examiners can create a Stud.IP folder which students can upload files into. The process is the same as for open book exams. Alternatively, assignment that take the form of a written text can be uploaded as files or students can be asked to send their declaration of authorship via e-mail.
A detailed introduction to VIPS provided by the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg also includes information on how to set up VIPS exams. You may find this document helpful even though it is only available in German: https://wp.uni-oldenburg.de/edidactics/wp-content/uploads/sites/143/2020/04/Stud.IP-Vips_april2020.pdf
Use the diversification option (personified exams following student ID numbers).
How students can prepare for a VIPS exam
It is important that the technology you will be using is functioning and that you know how to use it. Use mock exams provided by teaching staff.
Make sure that any possible software updates have run and been completed before the exam and that you have tested them.
Also make sure that there is enough storage space on your computer and practice transferring pictures from your phone to your computer and on to Stud.IP/VIPS.
Test the quality of the pictures you take (light, resolution, focus and sharpness, file size)
Download the “Eigenständigkeitserklärung” (declaration of authorship) via this link (https://hs-flensburg.de/sites/default/files/formular/eigenstandigkeitserklarung_zur_prufung_0.pdf) Print this document, fill it out and scan it. By filling out this form and submitting it you confirm that it was you who took the exam and you had no help from others and did not use resources which are not permissible. This declaration also serves to identify the examinee and must be handed in to the examiner at the end of each electronic exam.
Make sure that you have enrolled in the Stud.IP course for the exam you are taking and test your VIPS access. Usually the exam assignments will only be visible once the exam has started.
How a VIPS exam will take place
The exam will be made available via a Stud.IP course “VIPS exam”. At the time of the exam Stud.IP will automatically make the exam available.
The following kind of questions/tasks can be part of a VIPS exam: single choice, multiple choice (with or without the option to abstain), free answer, text answer, matching, fill in the gaps, algebraic term or external question (LTI tool). The Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg has put together information on VIPS exams for students. You may find this document helpful even though it is only available in German: https://uol.de/f/5/user_upload/Anleitung-E-Klausuren-Studierende.pdf
Oral exam und take home exam
The Examinations Office has scheduled the exams so that students of a certain semester will not have to take more than one exam per day and that, ideally, the next exam for students of that semester will take place three days later at the earliest. For this scheduling to remain intact, the dates in the exam schedule must be kept.
If an exam is to be held as an oral exam, the day of the exam should be the same day originally scheduled for the exam. Exceptions with good reason may be allowed.
Take home exams (exams written at home and not on campus) are allowed. The time in which these exams are to be completed may not exceed two days in order to avoid a clash of exam times.
A declaration of authorship also has to be handed in to the examiner for oral exams.
Technical requirements for students
- Internet connection
- Computer/notebook or tablet computer (with a camera and microphone in case of an invigilation via video call)
- Smartphone
- Printer
Technical problems
In case of technical problems, the examinee must communicate these problems to the examiner/invigilator immediately – please use the chat function if possible so that you do not disturb other students taking the exam.
The Examinations Office and Campus Management will be available via a hotline. For questions concerning organisational matters call the Examinations Office at +49 461 805 1305 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For technical questions call the Campus Management at +49 461 805 1416 between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and at +49 461 805 1751 between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
If students cannot upload their exam results or answers, they can use their own FUAS account to e-mail them to the FUAS address of the examiner as an alternative. This alternative should only be used as an exception, if the examiner recommends it, since our e-mail system may be blocked in case of large amounts of data being sent.
If the exam results cannot be uploaded due to technical reasons, the time stamp created when the PDF file is saved will count as the time at which the exam was handed in.
§8 of FUAS’ Regulations on the carrying out of “electronic exams”, i.e. online and distance exams, applies.
Please note
Students must keep the pictures taken of the exam sheets, the exam sheets themselves and the declaration of authorship. At the request of the examiner they must send these files to an address provided by the examiner. This may be relevant in those cases where the quality of the uploaded pictures is poor.
If a student cannot upload their files via the smartphone, they should e-mail the pictures to their own e-mail address. The attachments can then be downloaded using a computer/notebook, saved and then uploaded to Stud.IP or OwnCloud.
General information
Handing in your exam
Please do not send your answers to your exams and assignment to the Examinations Office. If you are required to hand your exam results in on paper, please send them to the address your examiner provides. If you are asked to send your exam results to FUAS, please make sure the address also includes the name of your examiner so that your answers will actually reach them.
[Edit, 15 Feb 2021:]
Very important: When you hand in your exam by posting it to FUAS, make sure that the envelope has both the name of the examiner and your name on it. If either of those names are missing, the exam may not be delivered correctly and may not be marked and graded. When handing in your exam via e-mail, please mail it to the examiner’s e-mail address directly; don’t send it to any other addresses. Please also note: You only have to hand in the original exam if the examiner requests this.
Registering for your exam
Please make sure that you are enrolled in the Stud.IP course for your exam or that you are able to receive the exam or assignment from your examiner. If you are not enrolled in the Sttud.IP course, only your examiner can add you. The Examinations Office cannot enrol you into Stud.IP courses.
[Edit, 15 Feb 2021:]
Please sign up for the exams in Stud.IP in due time or follow the instructions your examiner provides. If you are not sure where to sign up, ask your examiner directly. (An example: Professor Machon is taking over the subjects, and thus the exams, taught by Professor Dahms. If you want to take these exams, you will have to sign up for Professor Machon’s exams on Stud.IP. Registering for the exam with the Examinations Office will not be enough to then actually take the exam.)
Technical tools & requirements
Please test all the tools you may need during or for an exam beforehand (e.g. Stud.IP, Webex, BigBlueButton). Also make sure that you are able to receive e-mails. We recommend that you create enough space in your inbox for e-mails to arrive and mail delivery not to fail because of too little storage space.
Declaration of authorship & identification
Please sign the declaration of authorship by hand. You must be able to present it to the examiner or the Examinations Office at their request. It is crucial that you sign it by hand as that will make the check of identification legally secure. If you do not have access to a printer, write the text below onto a sheet of paper, sign it and send it to us:
I hereby declare that I have worked on the exam mentioned above on my own and without unauthorized assistance. I am aware that such unauthorized assistance or resources include the assistance of another person in the same room with me or connected via social media, working on the exam as a group where group work is not intended. I am also aware that copying text from the internet, e.g. using “copy and paste”, without referencing such text qualifies as a non-permissible resource. Every attempt to communicate about the structure or content of an exam or assessment or exchange information (e.g. sources) with other persons during the time the exam is to be completed in will have to be counted as an attempted use of unfair means and result in the exam or assessment being graded as “not passed”. Your signature serves the purpose of authentication.
Other questions
We have been asked about the implications of more than one examinee working on an online exam via the same IP address, e.g. if students share a flat. Please inform your examiner before the start of the exam if this applies to you.