Standardized Tests: A New Tool to Promote Diversity in Higher Education

Dartmouth College made headlines on February 5, 2024, with its announcement to once again require applicants to submit standardized testing scores. This decision marks a return to traditional admissions criteria and highlights a broader national conversation surrounding the fairness and efficacy of standardized testing in college admissions. b Source: bowditch.com

Türkiye’s 1st joint exam kicks off this week

The Turkish Ministry of National Education on Monday announced the start of joint exams for middle school students on Dec. 26 and high school students on Dec. 27 across the country as part of a comprehensive initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of education and fostering a sense of unity among educational institutions. Source: dailysabah.com

TOEFL to be offered as personalised test based on individual backgrounds?

Statistically, theres no significant difference. However, it would be better if, when registering for the test, you could indicate your specific needs, like applying for a journalism programme, and the test could adapt to assess higher-level writing skills, for instance, he said. Sharma informed that ETS is also looking at personalisation based on background.For example, students from India might be strong in written English but need improvement in spoken English. Source: devdiscourse.com

A new cheating technique has professors outmatched—and no, it’s not ChatGPT

In the changing world of education, online academic resources such as Chegg.com have become the go-to websites for help with schoolwork.  However, these platforms can also be used to find answers to test questions, breaking the code of academic integrity. Surprisingly, many professors are unaware of how these websites can be misused due to a lack of familiarity with the rapidly changing technology. Source: phys.org

Turkey: Ministry abolishes written exams in primary schools

In a recent major shift, the Turkish Education Ministry has announced the abolition of written examinations at the primary school level, replacing them with a system predicated on the periodic evaluation of students’ performance. more at: Türkiye News

How Common is Cheating in Online Exams and did it Increase During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Academic misconduct is a threat to the validity and reliability of online examinations, and media reports suggest that misconduct spiked dramatically in higher education during the emergency shift to online exams caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reviewed survey research to determine how common it is for university students to admit cheating in online exams, and how and why they do it. Source: Springer.com (open access)