Overview of approved software for online exams
Digital oral and practical exams:
The exams take place in the same way as a conventional oral exam, but via video conferencing software. Paderborn University currently only has one possible conferencing system in use. The technology should be tested by all participants in advance. It is not necessary to register the exam with the ZIM.
Zoom is a software for video conferencing with chat and content sharing and other functionalities. Paderborn University provides its members with the Zoom X video conferencing software as a campus license via contracts with Deutsche Telekom. The manufacturer of the software is Zoom Video Communications, Inc (USA). The Zoom software is operated by a German company (Deutsche Telekom), which is directly subject to European data protection law.
Examinations on Zoom are permitted, provided that all examination participants agree to the use of Zoom (voluntary basis).
When creating the room, make sure that a waiting room and end-to-end encryption are activated - see https://hilfe.uni-paderborn.de/Zoom_-_Sicherheit_und_Datenschutz
Data protection information on Zoom: https://hilfe.uni-paderborn.de/Zoom_-_Allgemeine_Informationen#Nutzungsbedingungen_und_Datenschutzhinweise
Digital Written Exam:
Paderborn University has established its own dedicated Examination Moodle platform. Starting from January 1, 2024, the use of this platform is mandatory for all digital written examinations. The examiner determines the format in which the exam will be conducted.
The possible formats include:
- Remote examination at home under the conditions of a traditional, tightly time-limited exam (potentially with online proctoring via a video conferencing system)
- Remote examination at home as an open-book exam
- Digital on-site examination using university-provided hardware (either in a computer lab or with loaned examination laptops)
- Digital on-site examination using students’ own devices (Bring Your Own Device – BYOD)
Comprehensive documentation on digital examinations is available in our internal Wiki (Confluence): go.upb.de/digitalesPrüfen Access to the Wiki is restricted to users within the university network or via VPN.
The following activities can be used for exams within the Examination Moodle:
The Quiz activity supports a variety of question types. Questions can be organized into categories and tagged with keywords, allowing for random selection from a question pool and variation in question order. Most questions are automatically graded by the learning management system, so examiners only need to review the results.
Detailed instructions are available in Confluence (accessible only within the university network or via VPN).
The Assignment activity is suitable for submitting files, including handwritten work that students scan and upload, or for entering longer texts directly. We also recommend using the Assignment activity for submitting the statutory declaration.
Detailed instructions are available in Confluence (accessible only within the university network or via VPN).
Moodle can be supplemented with additional software applications, enabling, for example, competency-based assessments. Tasks such as solving problems in an office application can be integrated into the exam process. In such cases, the specific software (e.g., Excel) is explicitly enabled in the configuration of the Safe Exam Browser for the respective exam. However, it should be noted that depending on the exam scenario and the software used, this approach may not be suitable for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) exams.
Alternatively, other software tools may be used without relying on PANDA (Moodle), such as design tools, Jupyter Notebooks, geometry software, statistical tools, and more. These programs are considered as permissible aids, subject to approval by the examiner. It is important to ensure that a valid license exists for any software used. Please verify whether the workplace, students, or the designated computer pool possess the necessary licenses—or whether the software is openly licensed, such as the geometry software Cinderella. For resource-intensive applications like CAD software, it must also be ensured that the computer used for the exam meets the required performance specifications.
According to § 6 of the Regulations for Online Examinations and the Electronic Submission of Theses in All Degree Programs at Paderborn University, as well as for Research Papers in the Master's Programs in Mechanical Engineering at Paderborn University, remote examinations may be supervised via a video-audio conferencing system. The systems mentioned above are suitable for and approved for use in oral examinations.
The effectiveness of supervising a large number of students via small on-screen tiles should be determined by the respective examiners.
For all digital exams taken remotely, it should be assumed that students may use supporting materials. Therefore, it is recommended that such exams be designed as open-book examinations, allowing the use of any resources such as books and notes. The decision as to whether an exam is suitable for a remote format lies with the respective instructor.