Online exams suspended while Massey debates reintroducing in-person exams

Online supervised exams have been suspended at Massey University, while it debates bringing in-person exams back.  

The university is also considering creating an entirely new online platform for exams.  

This follows major technical difficulties for mid-year online exams last year, including a privacy breach where students’ personal information was exposed to others logging in. 

A Massey spokesperson told Massive, “A range of different approaches are being used as temporary replacements for OSEs while we work through a process to scope our future requirements.” 

However, after years of digital examining, Massey no longer has the space or resources to host large-scale, in-person exam sessions. 

“The decision about what approach to take is informed by the discipline, level of course, and the role the course plays in specific qualifications,” the spokesperson said.  

At the March Academic Committee meeting, it was confirmed that the Centre for Education Transformation is now developing a business case for a new online assessment platform.  

This proposal will be brought back to the committee as Massey considers how to ensure academic integrity in an evolving technological landscape.  

The meeting recommended Massey reintroduce secure in-person assessments at key stages of each degree.  

Massey’s position is that a blended approach, combining in-person and online tools, is now necessary to maintain the credibility and value of university qualifications. 

However, some students questioned the need for exams as an assessment style at all.  

Asking students for feedback on exams, Kaumosi Opie said, “Why do we have exams? Once the exam’s over, we don’t remember anything ... It’s not the best way to test our knowledge.” 

Distance student Elim Garak echoed these concerns, “Coursework is a more accurate assessment if we'd be able to do a job involving the material.” 

“At a job we'd have access to resources. It's how we know how to use those resources that matter.”

Garak highlighted the unreliability of online exam software and questioned alternative methods.  

“PSI has bad reviews on Indeed, the Better Business Bureau website, as well as Trustpilot. Why are TCAs (Time Constrained Assessments) not enough?” 

Massey first introduced remotely proctored exams in 2021 to adapt to Covid-19 lockdowns, replacing traditional in-person, pen-and-paper exams. That year, Online Supervised Exams (OSEs) were formally adopted as the standard method for conducting exams at the university. 

Initially, OSEs proved to be a cost-effective tool that also helped maintain academic integrity, including the use of generative AI. 

However, following the 2024 system failure, Massey suspended its use of the third-party provider PSI. 

At the April Academic Committee meeting, capstone assessments were proposed, which would involve in-person components at the end of a student’s qualification. 

Massey Business School suggested expanding the types of secure assessments to live case studies, simulations, gamified learning assessments, and real-time collaborative assessments.