Carolina Alumni Review - January/February 2009

IN CLASS
In a Wired World, the Blue Book Hangs On

Eday — the worry of being unprepared, lack of sleep, sweaty palms as very UNC student remembers exam

the professor announces “five minutes remaining.” But there is one exam experience that’s nearly as universal: the blue book.

What else can you get at Student Stores for 15 cents? An exam day necessity, blue books have changed little over the years. The small, thin pages with laughably large lines are still around. Cramping fingers and hands, broken pencil points, the last-minute sprint to get a book before the big test — all these things have persisted since, seemingly, the very first exam.

But the blue book isn’t much for cut and paste. New computer software being used by some UNC professors may be a way to bring exams into the 21st century. One program, Securexam, enables students to type essays and written responses, and it disables other applications so students can’t access notes or the Web for information. In other words, Securexam is Microsoft Word with honor code enforcement.

The University’s initial use of the program seemed a logical transition. Students use laptops to write papers, type e-mail and send instant messages — why not use them for exams? Typing is second nature to most students, so it seems natural for them to use their laptops on tests.

“There’s no reason not to use the technology if it exists,” said Zack Fisher, who provides technical support to Securexam users at UNC. Fisher said professors find it easier to keep

‘I liked using Securexam when I was
actually taking tests because there’s
always the ability to backspace, and
in the blue books you don’t have
that. A downside was that if there

were any technology flub-ups, then it
required an IT person to come in.’

Catherine Moore
junior

track of and grade papers and that students have an easier time organizing and editing their thoughts.

What started as a small pilot program a few years ago is now being used by about 30 professors and more than 5,000 students, said Andy Lang, director of the Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services. OASIS agreed to try out the pro-

gram after it was spotted by a group within the information technology department. Two years ago, UNC purchased enough licenses for all students and faculty to be able to use Securexam.

Lang mostly hears good reviews from student users, he said, such as junior Catherine Moore, who used Securexam in an English class.

“I liked using Securexam when I was actually taking tests because there’s always the ability to backspace, and in the blue books you don’t have that,” Moore said.

Moore also liked feeling she could write more coherently, she said, and did not have to spend time erasing mistakes. But she also thinks the program has a few flaws.

“A downside was that if there were any technology flub-ups, then it required an IT person to come in.”

Moore said she felt some added anxiety because of the program. For some students,

Securexam may add stress to the process of turning in an exam.

Imagine not being able to tell whether your exam was in the professor’s hands. No matter how unlikely the chance of an exam getting lost with Securexam, the mere thought of it is enough to make most students nervous.

“I didn’t encounter any problems,” Moore said, “but it made me more nervous in the end because there’s a process to make sure it gets sent to the professor, and