Despite having the same resources and technology, the online testing center location in Gilman has been largely underutilized, said Doug Bull, testing center coordinator.

While the Carver Hall online testing center has always brought lines of students to take their proctored exams, a second location in Gilman has so far received little attention this year.

“I think there are going to continue to be changes, one thing I’m certain about is there will be more usage of these types of [online testing] facilities,” Bull said. “I suspect that eventually there will have to be an additional location beyond the two that we have, maybe even a fourth someplace.”

The testing center program has grown dramatically in the last 10 years from just 24 computers to an estimated 110.

With technology continuing to be developed, testing centers are now being developed using iPads and more advanced equipment. 

Bull hopes to see an improved interface developed to incorporate written work.

“There’s not a real good interface to allow students to enter mathematical equations and symbols,” Bull said. “So I suspect at some point we’re going to find something better that allows us to plug in a pad or something that people can write on and that then would interface online.”

For language courses like Spanish, Bull hopes to have computer setups that allow recorded answers if the exam is verbal. 

With so many options available Bull said he’s unsure of where it will end.

Benefits of online testing can range widely for students and teachers.

“I look at it more as a benefit for the student. If you’re not spending an hour of time in class taking an exam, that hour can be used for instructional purposes,” Bull said. “That’s kind of a value added to your tuition dollar.”

Erin Wilgenbusch, senior lecturer of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, uses online tests for her large classes in order to cut back on schedule conflicts for students.

“If you’ve got 400 students in a class and 50 of them have things that come up, which is realistic; that sounds crazy but realistically 50 people will have something come up and then you’ve got to schedule make up exams for 50 people. That’s just crazy,” Wilgenbusch said.

Wilgenbusch also enjoys the ability to schedule a test to be open for a week when it might occur during a busy testing cycle for students.

“The other reason is, large section classes it’s very hard to ensure the academic integrity,” Wilgenbusch said. “You can’t watch 400 people to make sure they’re not cheating on the test.”

With proctored exams in the online testing centers, professors can create large question pools so each student will have a different test.

The only complaint Wilgenbusch has is on the part of the student.

“I find that probably usually 70 to 80 percent of the students don’t take the test until Thursday or Friday,” Wilgenbusch said.

If an issue arises in the testing center, students are at risk for not completing the test on time, before the center automatically shuts down at 8:30 p.m.

Eric Wilson, junior in computer science, prefers written exams to using the testing centers.

“Online tests, I always feel like there’s a little bit more pressure to get

done,” he said. “The entire online testing environment, the signs posted around saying there’s cameras and everything kind of weirds me out a bit.

“I always feel like if I hit the submit button, I’m locked in, with a test I like going back over it and flipping through the pages. Online tests, you can still go through the questions but it’s a little bit different.”

Wilson admits he had no idea that the Gilman Hall testing center existed.

Alyssa Peirce, junior in mathematics, was aware of the Gilman testing center but admits she didn’t know much about it.

“Teachers should probably emphasis [the Gilman testing center] more so that way Carver isn’t as overwhelmed,” Peirce said.

The new Gilman testing center is located on the second floor in room 2552.

“Everybody is so used to coming [to Carver Hall], there will be lines coming out the door and there’s nobody in Gilman,” Bull said. “There’s like maybe four or five people over in Gilman.”

Bull recommends that if a student is trying to take a test at Carver and the lines are long, to try walking to Gilman instead.

“Rather than standing in line for 30 minutes, just walk over to Gilman and take your test,” Bull said.