Online exams using BigBlueButton or Webex - teachers' guide

BigBlueButton or Webex are best suited for oral exams, talks about student submissions or proctoring written exams.

The legal framework for online exams is written down in the Statute Part Legal Regulations of TU Graz.

Open/Close

Before the exam

Accessing BigBlueButton or Webex

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton is used directly in a TeachCenter course. Create a BigBlueButton activity for the exam in the corresponding TeachCenter course.

Students need access to the TeachCenter course. To participate in the meeting, they click on the activity there.

Note: For exam dates registered in TUGRAZonline, use the TeachCenter Exam so that only students who are registered for the exam will have access.

Webex

Webex is not connected to a TeachCenter course and is used via the browser or Webex app.

Students need a meeting link to participate (IT user guide in German).

Preparing the exam, informing the students

Set up the BigBlueButton meeting in the TeachCenter course or the Webex meeting link.
If you want to divide the students into several breakout rooms for easier proctoring, hire teaching assistants, for example.
Optional, for online written exams: Create a quiz or an assignment in the TeachCenter (Exam). For more information, see the user guide on the Quiz activity or the user guide on the Assignment activity.
Send the exam link to your students in good time.
If the video conference is used to proctor a written exam, ask students to position the camera or device so that the space where they are going to be working is clearly visible. Allow enough time for this.

Preparing the meeting

Prepare the meeting with appropriate settings, depending on the exam setting:

You might want to activate a waiting room/lobby to only let the exam candidates into the meeting at a certain point.
Block certain settings (instructions for BigBlueButton), e.g. that students are not allowed to see each other (only possible in BBB) or that exam candidates are not allowed to send chat messages to each other.
Assign the role of co-host or moderator to everyone who needs it.

On the day of the exam

Advice for the exam procedure

Please note: The following procedure only provides examples – you can always set your own, different rules and processes!

Check whether all candidates are present and whether the settings are working correctly (e.g. microphone for oral exams).
Explain the rules and the procedure for the exam again:
Where can the information or exam be found (in a written exam)?
How much time do the students have?
What should the students' workplace look like? Example: only notepad, pen, drink and ID, no external monitors
What should be done in case of questions or technical problems? Example: ask questions only in the chat, contact teachers by phone in case of problems and log back in as soon as possible
What should be done at the end of the exam - is leaving the meeting allowed or not?
You can also call on students individually and ask them to film their work area in detail before the start of the exam to prove that they are not using any notes or unauthorised tools. Plan enough time for this. If everything is okay, ask the students to place the camera or device so that they are visible (or for written exams also the workplace and the exam).

The images show examples from written exams:

Sufficient resolution, student, workplace and screen are well visible — Good camera configurations

Good camera configuration: sufficient resolution, student, workplace and exam clearly visible

Poor lighting conditions, screen not well visible or resolution too low, focus only on the screen instead of on student and workplace — Bad camera configurations

Bad camera configuration: poor lighting conditions, exam or workplace not clearly visible or resolution too low

Start the exam. For a written exam, you can mute all students so that there are no background noises. Send candidates to breakout rooms now if you have planned to do so.
During a written exam, you can perform random checks by bringing the individual student cameras into focus. If their resolution is poor, ask them to point the camera only at the exam or screen to avoid cheating with unauthorised tools or other programmes.
During an oral exam, you can send students back to the lobby while the grade is being discussed.
Close the meeting after the exam. Download any information that may still be needed, such as the chat or the list of participants.

Help & Contact

In case of technical issues: Troubleshooting Video Conferences, or if this does not solve your problems: videokonferenz@tugraz.at

For questions about Webex: instructions by the IT support (available in German)

For questions about BigBlueButton: instructions for teachers and instructions for students

For didactic questions about the use of BigBlueButton or Webex: telucation@tugraz.at

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 International

TU Graz Educational Technology & Carlo Albeto Boano

Our thanks go to Carlo Alberto Boano for the experience report on which this guide is based on and the photos of the exam situations used in this guide.