Drawing Diagrams in an Online Examination

This paper describes a study into the drawing of diagrams in an online examination. The diagrams were produced by students during an on-line examination using a simple drawing tool. The students’ examination answers, which included a diagram, were submitted over the Internet to an automatic marking tool for grading and feedback. This paper describes the diagram drawing tool and discusses the students’ reactions to its use under examination conditions. Whilst only a small number of students were involved in the trials, drawing simple diagrams using a software tool during an examination did not pose major problems for most of them. We conclude that the use of such a tool is feasible and should be investigated further.