The Return of the Oral Exam
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION outlines how oral exams are rapidly becoming not just a defense against AI cheating but a better way of teaching. The article includes examples of how students take oral exams to verbally talk through their problem solving methods, and includes ideas on how this type of exam can be scaled to larger courses, or used as Q & A sessions to augment written assignments. — Article by Beth McMurtrie
Consider this...
What could you learn about your student by watching them work a math problem while they talk through their process? What would you learn about your student by talking live with them about a concept, and then asking follow-up questions of your students. Knowing you will ask follow-up questions, how do you think students will study differently? Also, "oral exam" is a concept. You could call them "Walk and Talks", "Presentations with Q&A sessions", or even a "Research Defense", etc.
Article takeaways...
- Deters AI Misuse: Hard to fake understanding in live, adaptive conversations.
- Drives Deeper Learning: Psychological focus inherently shifts from memorization to active conceptual mastery and out-loud problem-solving.
- Builds Real-World Skills: Trains students to defend reasoning and speak spontaneously, mirroring professional settings.
- Scalable with Strategy: High-enrollment courses can use short (15-min) video formats, TAs, or peer-recorded models.
- Works in Hybrid Formats: Combines written work with brief Q&A follow-ups to verify student comprehension.
READ ARTICLE: "The Return of the Oral Exam" — Chronicle of Higher Ed Article our instructors have free access through the University of Idaho Library.
Ideas for Scaling Up
Worried about the time commitment? Try these two approaches to streamline oral assessments:
- Shorten or Stagger Meetings: Keep exams brief (e.g., 15 minutes) or spread them out across the term. Stacking back-to-back live meetings often lets you evaluate student learning faster than grading lengthy essays. (See OPTION 1 and 2 below.)
- Use Multi-Format Submissions: Combine short written or graphic pieces with a brief student-recorded video or audio explanation. Requiring varied deliverables highlights inconsistencies, discourages quick AI use, and engages students through creative, process-focused work. (See OPTION 2 below for video assignment help.)
Option 1) Setup a live ZOOM session
If you're able to meet live "synchronously" with students, this can be the simplest method of assessing your students' knowledge on a topic. It also offers you the ability to ask follow-up questions, to clarify questions for the student, and to have a back-and-forth conversation with a student which will ultimately give you the best understanding of your students' level of knowledge. If you have a large number of students you can scale this concept by doing shorter exams, making use of TAs if they're available, or alternatively using the built-in video recording options in CANVAS (see option 2 below).
RECOMMENDED: Follow OIT's ZOOM General Guide to schedule a ZOOM session with your student.
Option 2) Setup a Panopto video assignment/quiz/exam
If you're unable to meet live with your students, or you prefer to teach "asynchronously" you can setup Panopto video so your students can submit videos during their CANVAS assignments and exams. This feature allows students to record their assignment submissions, including screen capture, where they can share their thought process with you. Keep in mind, you can also refer to these by other terms such as "Walk and Talks", "Presentations with Q&A sessions", or even a "Research Defense".
Step 1 — Add Panopto Video to your course
- Login to your CANVAS course.
- Go to Settings, then Navigation
- Drag Panopto Video up to the active section at the top.
- Press Save at the bottom.
Step 2 — Enable Panopto "Assignment Submissions"
- Under Panopto Video, click the triple dot menu to access the Panopto Settings
- Click on Create Assignment Folder
Step 3 — Setup Assignment Instructions
- Under your course's Assignments area, click the +Assignment button to add a new assignment.
- Create the assignment as you would any other assignment (Learn How to create an Assignment), but set the Submission Type to "Online" and then "Text Entry"
- Include video help for your students on how to record their video submissions by adding this Panopto Help link: https://support.panopto.com/s/article/Submit-an-Assignment-in-Canvas-as-a-Student
Learn More — How to Create a Video Assignment in Canvas
Step 4 — Grade Video Assignment
Grading a video assignment is the same process as grading any other assignment. Use SpeedGrader to access the submission.
Learn More — Review and Grade Student Assignments