Period: Apr 27 - May 1, May 3 - 13

Hours: Mon - Fri 8:45 am - 9pm, SAT 9am - 1pm
Urgent enquiries:
- eLearning internal support hotline (staff only): 39433901
Other enquiries:
- Email: elearning@cuhk.edu.hk
- ITSC Online Service Desk: https://servicedesk.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk

Specific Reminders

Blackboard Test
- Get familiar with using "Test Availability Exceptions" to allow extra time for specific students to do the exam (if needed)
- The support team has received the reports of "Error Converting from MathML to accessible text" for two Blackboard tests around late March / early April. The problem had been reported to Blackboard Support for checking, but Blackboard Support could not replicate the issue. Consider asking students to back up their answers if MathML is used by writing their answers on paper (or taking pictures of their answers) with your permission. If manpower allows, consider checking the students' submitted answers immediately after the test if MathML is used.
- For students' reports related to failure to save answers, in addition to reminding the students to capture the respective system alert, allow students to back up their answers by writing their answers on paper (or taking pictures of their answers) with your permission. Give them extra time to back up the answer by using "Test Availability Exceptions" if needed. If the student ignores the system alert and proceeds to submit the test, unsaved answers will be lost, and the answers cannot be recovered (because they are unsaved). It is very difficult to tell if the cause is system-side or student-side, especially when it happens only to one (or a few students). For most of the investigated cases, the findings were often non-conclusive.
- Share and remind students to check tips on taking a test.
Blackboard Assignment:
- Remind students to save their answers regularly and locally on their computers before submission to Blackboard to prevent loss of answers due to session timeout/network failure; make sure they have submitted their assignments successfully, and they have received the submission receipts;
- Blackboard session timeout is 3 hours. If needed, sign in again and use an active browser session to ensure successful submission;
ZOOM:
- Use "Focus mode" for group invigilated exam, and explicitly inform students that you are using the feature and only you as the meeting host can see participants' videos.
VeriGuide:
- Make sure students are familiar with both VeriGuide 2020 and VeriGuide Express.
Respondus Lockdown Browser (LDB) exams:
- Remind students to check and update LDB to the latest version and perform self-practice again after updating it; make sure NO alert messages when saving answers, and all answers are properly saved; Students should also clean restart the computer; close irrelevant applications before starting the exams.

General Reminders

Read the examination-related information shared on RES website, GSO website, and eLearning website for Assessment Support and share the applicable information with students.
Remind students of the following:
- the Declaration of Honesty in Academic Work (and the consequences and penalties of cheating) (or requiring students to sign it once again right before starting the exams).
- the exam rules. If the rule states that late submissions (>X min) will not be accepted, while technical issues encountered during submission could be a justification to ask for exception handling, the IT tool (e.g. Gradescope) accepted the late submission is not an acceptable justification. It may just be that the IT tool cannot be configured not to accept late submissions. It does not mean that teacher would accept late submissions.
- report exam-related issues (technical issues included) immediately during the exam and whether/how late reports (e.g. after grade release) will be handled.
- use a computer; avoid using mobile phones, tablets, or the Blackboard app to take online exams.
- use a reliable and stable network to do online exams.
Use a staggered model to release the question paper and collect answer scripts from students to distribute the system load to help ensure a smooth process.
Accommodate students with special needs (need more time, need to use screen reader, need to use VPN service to access non-China hosted technologies, unstable internet, unstable power supply, need for a suitable space etc.); extend the exam time to allow students to deal with issues (if needed).
Contact respective offices for help and support if needed;
If time and manpower allow:
- check students' submitted answers before allowing students to leave the exams (particularly for students who encounter technical issues such as network disconnection, and computer power failure to reduce the risk of answer loss).
- conduct the exam in smaller parts / by questions to allow for higher flexibility in the case of emergency
Anticipate everything that could go wrong and use the information to plan mitigation strategies. Consider informing the students of the arrangements in advance (especially for F2F+Online exams).
If something went wrong, announcements/updates would be made on the respective system/service, ITSC website, and via hotline 39433901.
If the problem cannot be resolved within a reasonable period (or no estimated recovery time can be provided), be prepared to execute the backup plan (e.g. use of alternative technologies, the arrangement of makeup exams) after consulting the respective offices.
Check this support article on the technologies adopted by exams with "self-arranged online invigilation" and a few last-minute reminders. The suggestions apply to the use of the technologies in general (i.e. not just for exams with "self-arranged online invigilation").

Non-centralized online exams scheduled outside Apr 27 - May 13?

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