Faculty Exchange/Eric Brisson Discusses Online Testing

General Information

Audience - All WSU instructors interested in using online tests in their courses.
Interview Date - 8/3/2010
Tools Used Desire2Learn Quiz tool, Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional

Meet the Faculty Member

Dr. Eric Brisson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Music at Winona State University, where his teaching duties involve Music Theory and piano accompaniment/coaching. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Montréal. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Montréal. In 2002 Dr. Brisson earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from McGill University (Montréal, Qc.). For more detail about Dr. Brisson's professional experience see his WSU web page at by clicking here.

Performing Arts Center 146
(507) 457-5250
ebrisson@winona.edu

Viewing the Interview Segments

The full interview is divided into four segments. Select play to begin viewing Segment 1. To advance to another segments at any time by using the Next button.

Segment Descriptions

Segment 1 How are you using Adobe Connect in conjunction with your online quizzes to monitor student testing? Eric explains the way he modified the close book exam he gave to his online students by using Connect to proctor his exams at a distance.

Segment 2 How would you improve on the use of this use of this tool? He explains the process of assigning students to individual rooms for the exam and then turn on the screen sharing and web cameras that allowed him to monitor their testing.

Segment 3 What would you recommend to another faculty members considering this type of online testing? Eric explains that faculty should consider having a video tutorial available to his students to view before exam day, test of the Contribute system so that they learn precisely how Connect worked for exams, and why you should formally define procedures for students who are testing at a distance.

Segment 4 What student learning outcomes are you seeing from your use of Adobey Connect? Eric compares this exam experience to his typical classes and found that students performed equally to his students at a distance and was able to answer questions similarly to his classroom exams.

Good Practices

Quizzes were delivered via Adobe Connect so that students were able to take their exams during one of two times in a space of their choice.
The Connect session allows students to participate in courses at a distance and specifically take exams in a way the closely resembles the method of testing we use in classrooms spaces where the student has the ability to pose questions and receive timely feedback regarding their performance.
This method assures students are the one sitting at the computer (i.e. Connect has the ability to capture their computer screen and video stream of the students) so that the integrity of a close book test can be maintained.

Key Outcomes

Students demonstrated similar performance outcomes found to those in traditional exams settings.
These students were able to take the exams from their homes or places of work and not have to travel to centralized exam classrooms.