Bring Your Own Device in Performance Assessments

FAQ

What are BYOD performance assessments?

BYOD performance assessments are written examinations that you (as a lecturer) conduct independently on student laptops on ETH Zurich premises with supervision. Akin to paper examinations, you are responsible for the contents of the examination, as well as for conducting, supervising, correcting, viewing and archiving the examination.

Can I carry out a BYOD performance assessment?

In the introductory phase of BYOD, an application must be submitted in order to conduct a BYOD performance assessment. Academic Services will check whether a BYOD performance assessment in your course is currently possible based on regulations and capacities.

Due to the gradual introduction of the mandatory BYOD policy for new students, there will still be cohorts that are not subject to it in the coming years. If you wish to conduct a BYOD performance assessment, you must therefore ensure that all your students are subject to the mandatory BYOD policy. Otherwise, you must obtain the explicit, individual consent of any student who is not subject to the mandatory BYOD policy and, if necessary, provide them with replacement devices that meet the recommended minimum configuration.

Is it necessary to label BYOD performance assessments in the Course Catalogue (VVZ)?

Performance assessments that are conducted as a BYOD performance assessments must be clearly labelled as such in the Course Catalogue (VVZ). In the introductory phase, this is done centrally and is part of the processing of your application.

Which examination scenario and examination system should I use?

You are free to choose the examination scenario (e.g. closed book or open book) and the examination system (e.g. Moodle), provided that both comply with the applicable external pageETH regulations and directives on performance assessmentscall_made.

It must be possible for students to carry out all compulsory courses, exercise and performance assessments with the minimum configuration recommended to students minimum configuration. Any additional capacities must be provided by lecturers.

Are there instruction manuals for BYOD performance assessments?

Detailed instructions are available for the recommended setup with Moodle, SEB and SEB-Server, which facilitate a smooth examination process:

Instructions for BYOD performance assessments with SEB and Moodle for lecturers
Instructions for BYOD performance assessments with SEB and Moodle for students

We recommend you carry out several trial runs of your examination set-up with your students during the semester. Mock examinations, formative tests or exercises are suitable for this, preferably well in advance of the actual examination date.n.

I would like to conduct a BYOD performance assessment with Moodle...

BYOD performance assessments with Moodle and any associated mock examinations take place on the Moodle examination instance. A new examination course is created each semester.

After your application has been checked, a course will be created for you on Moodle. From autumn semester 2024 onwards, you will be able to create the course yourself via eDoz.

What are SEB and SEB Server?

In order to create fair conditions for all students in the examination and to prevent access to undesirable resources, such as websites, software programs, files or system functions, we recommend securing the examination using

Are replacement devices available??

A contingent of replacement devices is currently available in the HIL building on the H?nggerberg campus. We strongly recommend that you have sufficient replacement devices ready in case of unforeseen technical problems during the exam that cannot be solved quickly.
During the introductory phase, please contact the BYOD advisory team well ahead of your exam regarding the reservation, issue and handling of replacement devices: .

Which rooms are suitable for BYOD performance assessments?

BYOD performance assessments take place on ETH premises under supervision.

• We recommend scheduling BYOD semester performances and BYOD end-of-semester examinations in the HIL building on the H?nggerberg campus, as replacement devices are available there.

• BYOD session examinations will be scheduled by the Examinations Office of Academic Services in a suitable location.
  

How is the power supply guaranteed?

Advise students that they must attend the exam with a fully charged battery. The recommended minimum requirement for student devices states that the battery life for standard applications, such as word processing and web browsing, must be at least seven hours. Students can also voluntarily bring a power bank as a backup battery. A solution for equipping the premises with socket towers for BYOD session examinations is in the works for the HS 2024 examination session.

Can I carry out a BYOD performance assessment safely from home?

No, BYOD performance assessments must be carried out under supervision on ETH Zurich premises.

How does the archiving directive work?

BYOD performance assessments are subject to the same regulations regarding backup and archiving as paper-based performance assessments. You must keep the assessed and graded examination for two years. To do this, you create a backup copy, which you keep for two years in compliance with the data protection guidelines. You must then delete the data after two years.
The procedure for creating a backup of BYOD performance assessments with Moodle is documented as part of this guide.

How does the examination review work??

Students have the right to review their assessed and graded BYOD performance assessment in accordance with ETH regulations.
The procedure for reviewing BYOD performance assessments with Moodle is documented as part of this guide.

How can I prepare well for a BYOD performance assessment?

Well ahead of time, find out about the applicable regulations on this website and submit an application. F¨¹hren Sie m?glichst w?hrend des Semesters mehrere Probedurchl?ufe Ihres Pr¨¹fungs-Setups mit Ihren Studierenden durch. Geeignet daf¨¹r sind beispielsweise Probepr¨¹fungen, formative Tests oder ?bungen, dies am besten weit im Voraus zum eigentlichen Pr¨¹fungstermin.

We strongly recommend that you carry out several trial runs of your examination set-up with your students during the semester. Mock examinations, formative tests or exercises are suitable for this. It is best to do this well in advance of the actual examination date.
In the event of a device malfunction or similar technical complications that cannot be resolved, it is recommended to have replacement devices available for students as a backup plan. Make sure to check available options well ahead of time.
On the day of the exam, allow students 15 to 30 minutes preparation time for taking their seats, starting their laptops and logging into the exam system. Only start the exam when all students are ready. In the event of persistent problems, the following procedure may help: (1) restarting the exam browser or exam software, (2) restarting the entire device, and finally (3) switching to a replacement device.
If problems occur during the exam, you can proceed as described above. Also make a note of the time at which the problem was reported and when the problem has been resolved. You can then credit the lost exam time individually to the affected student(s).
Detailed information on the procedure can be found in the instructions for BYOD performance assessments with SEB and Moodle for lecturers.

Where can I get advice and support?

If you have any questions about BYOD performance assessments, please contact the BYOD advisory team:   
We are currently working on establishing service structures for BYOD performance assessments.

Which regulations and directives apply to BYOD performance assessments?

All ETH regulations apply, as well as Swiss law (in particular regarding data storage), which must be complied with - among others:

• DownloadETH Zurich Ordinance on Performance Assessments (PDF, 349 KB)vertical_align_bottom
• DownloadETH Zurich Ordinance on Performance Assessments: Implementation stipulations determined by the Rector (PDF, 349 KB)vertical_align_bottom
• DownloadDirective ¨C Viewing and transfer of performance assessment records (PDF, 86 KB)vertical_align_bottom
• ETH-Data protection regulations
• ETH-Compliance guide
• ETH-Compliance guide teaching
• DownloadDirective mandatory BYOD policy HS2024 (PDF, 22 KB)vertical_align_bottom