In the AI and ChatGPT Era, Universities Should Give Oral Exams
With the advancement of AI and the increasing usage of ChatGPT, it is high time for universities to rethink using written assessments and instead revert to the tried and tested oral exams. The oral exam, also known as the viva voce, is a form of educational assessment that was used in ancient Greece over 2,000 years ago. It was used to defend knowledge in the ritual of a public oral defence. It is a fair, reliable, and authentic manner to assess multiple individual or group assignments.
The oral exam was replaced with written assessments during the 1700s when academics considered it more efficient to numerically grade students individually. However, Norway still uses the viva in its postgraduate programs and until recently, extensively used it in undergraduate education. High school students in Norway must also sit in at least one oral exam in a random subject. Similarly, Australia has introduced the viva for the first time, successfully assessing 600 oral exams in under a week in a large first-year undergraduate literacy course for pre-service teachers.
In oral exams, students answer a series of questions as examiners probe their knowledge and skills. The examiners then consider the preliminary pre-oral exam grade and if an adjustment up or down is required, the student is called back to receive their final grade. This type of assessment ensures 100% integrity, with no fear of plagiarism accusations or concerns with students submitting essays generated by an AI chatbot. It is also a rich form of assessment that takes into account content quality and the answering skills of students.
Moreover, oral exams offer students the opportunity to explain and clarify what they had submitted. This is not possible in purely written assessments and cannot be replicated by chatbots. Students can also be asked to create and verbally share a reflective journal, ensuring student authenticity and preventing cheating. Successfully completing a viva could be one of the graduate attributes, as it once was.
The oral exam may be tiring for examiners, but it is fulfilling as they could observe students turning their thoughts into words. For the students, the experience is nerve-racking yet full of emotion. They remember the viva vividly, including the atmosphere and the questions. Successfully completing it leaves a lasting imprint on their minds and serves as an opportunity to grow as a person.
In conclusion, as we learn to appreciate the importance of how a student can talk about the knowledge and skills they acquired, it is high time for universities to change their conversation to be more about assessments that involve a “conversation.” Written assessments will still be important, but oral exams should be reinstated as a vital part of the student evaluation process.
