Assessment considerations during lockdown in Norway: An exploratory case study with focus on misconducts in university mathematics

Abstract

The present paper raises a discussion about assessment formats in mathematics courses at Norwegian universities during the Covid lockdown. This proved to be challenging since the European GDPR regulations are strictly interpreted in Norway, making proctoring at home difficult. Based on analyses of nine university teachers’ feedback on how exams were carried out at their university during lockdown, a discussion is raised about assessment modes and misconducts. The result shows how a framework from another research field can be adjusted to analyze data about the assessment situations. Next, by utilizing the different components (themes) of the adjusted framework, we shed light on perspectives on misconducts in un-proctored home exams. In doing so, the paper informs the discussion on challenges related to assessing students in mathematics at home. Results are relevant for future educational settings since change in the demographic profile of students increase topicality of online assessment.