Final Exam Best Practices from Clemson Online

November 24, 2020

With finals nearly here, Clemson Online is here to help move faculty from panic mode to productivity!

Here are some tips and ideas for creating a smooth final exam experience for you and your students.

Test out your tech: Don’t leave things to chance or wait until the last minute to make sure your tools and equipment are going to work properly. Test your web links, your Zoom settings, and anything else you are using to administer final exams or assignments. If you’re using exam proctoring tools, you can send your students a link to the “Test Your Tech” Canvas course in an announcement or an email. This course allows students to try out and practice with the exam proctoring tools you plan to use.

Have a backup plan: It might be a good idea to plan an alternative form of assessment, just in case of emergencies, such as power/Internet outages or other unforeseen circumstances. For exam-related issues, see Clemson Online’s “Fall 2020 Commons Exams Instructor Guidelines” documentation, which addresses many common problems. If you are experiencing technical problems with Canvas or other campus technology, such as wi-fi, check CCIT’s Status Page to see if there is a current outage.

Best practices: Ahead of finals, review the documentation for tools supported by Clemson Online that you plan to use. There’s information about improving the stability of your Internet connection, best practices for Zoom meetings, and more.

See more Clemson Online resources for support with finals below.

Final Exam and Grades:

• Quick Hit: Canvas Gradebook Overview. This 30 minute session will provide an overview of the Canvas Gradebook and help prepare you for doing Final Grades. Join our meeting space in Zoom on Thursday, December 3 at 12:30 PM. Please register to add this event to your calendar at Tiger Training.
• Quick Hits Library: Visit Clemson Online’s library of previously recorded Quick Hits and you’ll find videos on remote proctoring, creating exams/quizzes, and much more.
• Faculty Resource Center: Clemson Online’s newly updated Faculty Resource Center is up and running in Canvas. The site covers a variety of topics, including online testing, accessibility, and learning resources for both faculty and students. Click the link to enroll: Faculty Resource Center.

Virtual Drop-In:

Every Monday and Thursday, from 10-4 in our Zoom meeting room. Our team can help you with any questions you have about Canvas, Zoom, and any other tech supported by Clemson Online. Feel free to stop by with your end of semester concerns. Zoom link available at the Events Page.