Laurier implements new student supports and resources for exams

Over the last few weeks, students have been expressing frustration over the detailed test/exam requirements that have been causing additional stress and anxiety. Concerns have been shared through social media, by email to studentfeedback@wlu.ca, and through the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union.

Students have expressed a range of concerns, including:

• Virtual proctoring anxieties, such as restrictions on their movement and privacy concerns
• Increases in overall workload, which includes the additional requirements related to remote exams and assignments
• Challenges in managing personal wellbeing while keeping up with academic requirements
• Course-based communications, including the frequency and clarity of communications from instructors

Students are encouraged to continue to submit ideas and feedback, as your suggestions and ideas are a valuable part of the ongoing work of addressing these concerns.

Laurier has taken concrete steps to address these issues with the goal of reducing the stress and anxiety of students. This includes extending the holiday break for an additional week to provide students with an additional week to rest and recharge before the winter term starts.

New Resources and Guidelines for Tests and Exams

Laurier’s goal in this remote learning environment is to reduce the stress of exam-taking as much as possible, while continuing to support the highest standards of academic integrity. Laurier encourages instructors, where possible, to use alternate forms of evaluation, but for some courses the best option may be a remote exam. In these cases, the Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor has been used for years at Laurier to support fair remote assessment.

In order to reduce student stress and to ensure students can focus on the exam itself, Laurier has made some immediate guideline changes to the use of the Lockdown Browser, including:

• Second “side-view” cameras can no longer be required for proctored exams
• Students can only be asked to use a mirror to show their workstation in the environmental scan, not for the whole exam
• Clarifying the process for students who need to use the washroom
• New guidelines have been developed to help prepare and reduce the stress for students taking exams using the Respondus Lockdown Browser and/or Monitor.

Laurier’s Teaching and Learning unit has developed resources for students and for faculty that outline the assessment tools that meet the university’s requirements and expectations, including accessibility and privacy. These can be found on the Assessment Tools resource page.

Laurier acknowledges that there are very real limitations to the facial recognition technology used by remote proctoring technologies, including Respondus, that can disproportionately affect students of colour. Laurier will continue to work with the technology vendor to address those concerns, as well as providing training and support to our staff, to ensure that all students are treated equally.

Investing over $1 Million in Instructional Supports for Students

The remote learning environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of communicating effectively with students, while also making that work more challenging. In place of providing updates and answering student questions informally after class, or in-person during tests, the volume of email and other electronic requests to instructors has risen dramatically. This growing demand has stretched the time and ability of instructors, and as a result additional resources are required to ensure a high quality remote learning experience for students.

Laurier is allocating over a million dollars to address student needs, which will be allocated in two key areas. Laurier has secured additional live tech support for scheduled remote final exams, which is in place now, so students will have someone on the line immediately if they need help. In Winter 2021 term, Laurier will invest in additional instructional support by hiring more Instructional Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Contract Teaching Faculty, and Lab Coordinators to improve communication and supports for students.

Moving Forward

Together, these investments and additional supports will help to address the concerns raised by students. There is more work to be done, and Laurier is committed to continuing the work to improve our supports for students and creating excellent student experience. Students are encouraged to raise any concerns with their instructors and department Chairs or Faculty Deans or send feedback to studentfeedback@wlu.ca.