 |
Fifth-level students Joni Peters, foreground, and Leslie Macadangdang take their first NU450 test. |
This semester, 11 College of Nursing graduate and undergraduate classes are taking tests online using Perception software.
Online testing has been used in the College of Nursing for several years. In 1998, Becky Kreman, formerly on the Kearney campus and now at the West Nebraska campus, began online testing with her NU320 course.
Flexibility, feedback, preparation
Last fall marked the first time a large number of faculty used online testing. Flexibility, immediate feedback and preparation for state boards/certification are among the reasons they have moved to online testing.
“Last fall we piloted with the second-year Adult Health and Illness Department graduate students to take their final exam in one of their courses, NU808, using Perception,” said Sue Barnason, Ph.D. “This was a new venture for this group of nursing students, however, we went over instructions in class and worked with LRC staff in Lincoln and Omaha as well as designated test proctors at the distant sites where we had graduate students.”
According to Dr. Barnason, the use of online testing is useful for graduate students for several reasons, including allowing flexibility in scheduling tests, immediate feedback on responses and improving testing skills on computer.
Incorporating graphics
This semester, Dr. Barnason has continued her online testing with the students in NU813. “We are also incorporating visual graphics into the examination — such as ECGs, chest X-ray images and pulmonary function testing graphics,” she said. “By augmenting the examination with graphics and visuals, graduate students then have the opportunity to apply their diagnostic and decision-making skills as advanced practice nurses.”
Faculty comment
Last semester — when Kim Rodehorst, Ph.D., offered computerized testing for the pediatrics course — marked the first time for online testing in Scottsbluff. She said the advantages for online testing include preparation for state boards and quick feedback for students. By simply hitting the submit button, students can see their grade immediately and in some instances, go back to their test and see what answers are right and which questions they missed. “It’s also easy for faculty to make changes and update tests,” she said.
Lynne Farr, Ph.D., who has been using online testing for her graduate classes since last fall, said it provides greater flexibility. “Exams are available online to distance students so faculty don’t need to fax exams. Faculty don’t need to use class time to go over exams with student,” she said. “In my class, because of the testing window (her tests are available for student to take during a certain time frame), I don’t need to take class time to give exams either.”
In Kearney, Jill Reed and Pat Trausch are using online testing in their classes. Reed is in her third semester of online testing in NU320 and Trausch is in her second semester with NU450.
“The benefits to students is that they get practice in computer testing so the concept hopefully won’t be so new and stressful when they take boards on the computer,” Trausch said.
Working out the kinks
Online testing is not without its problems, however. Dr. Rodehorst said there is always concern about whether or not a student’s exam will be lost. And in Kearney toward the end of last semester, technological problems forced faculty to go back to pencil and papers tests when the online tests would not submit. That problem has since been remedied, but it did force Reed to hand-grade 25 tests — with all the questions in random order.
Another concern of faculty is the amount of time it takes to generate online tests. Faculty members say writing and coding online exam questions is time consuming, as is learning to use the software. Another problem is the lack of physical facilities in which to give computerized exams.
Yet, overall, faculty members seem to be pleased with online testing. “I think it is worth using and will be great when all the ‘bugs’ are worked out,” Dr. Farr said.