Dr Louise Newnham, a teaching focussed Senior Lecturer in Genome Stability in the School of Life Sciences, shares insights from her experience of using, since 2018/19, an oral exam (viva) as part of the assessment for a 30 credit masters module.

What I did

In 2018 I changed the assessment of one of my 30 credit masters modules from a heavily weighted exam, which asked students to write two essays from a choice of topics, to a greater emphasis on coursework (65% weighting) plus a 15-minute oral assessment (35%).

Why I did it

The module in question, Advanced Methods in Molecular Research, has a very practical focus and typically attracts a diverse student cohort, which includes a lot of international students.

My fellow tutors and I were prompted to move away from using written exams because it was clear they weren’t enabling our students to demonstrate knowledge we had clearly seen them demonstrate in the lab. 

How it works

The oral assessment, which takes place in the assessment period, comprises four questions. The first is a short and simple ‘starter’ question with a straightforward right/wrong answer, followed by two ‘intermediate’ questions in which students may have to explain how something works. The final question is more advanced and asks students to discuss a particular method, its advantages/limitations and the broader context (e.g. examples of applications). The questions, drawn randomly from a question bank, are quite broad, to allow for discussion and elaboration. In fact, we try to keep it relatively conversational and will prompt students to elaborate if need be (the marking criteria allow us to factor in whether or not prompts were necessary). We’re also very happy for students to draw diagrams to support their explanation and to make notes before verbalising their answers. In fact, we encourage it.

Of course, some students may find this daunting. Therefore, from the start of the semester we emphasise that it provides excellent training for job interviews and for those considering a PhD which is assessed with a 3 hour+ viva. We also provide, in Canvas, an overview of the format and marking criteria and feedback from students on the value of participating in an oral assessment. We also run two workshops during term to help build students’ confidence and support them to do well in the exam in which students practice in pairs with example questions and students who feel they need more practice can request mock interviews. This supportive approach is possibly why all of our students have participated and the only reasonable adjustment requested, other than additional time, was for a student who wanted to write their answers down rather than verbalise them. This worked well as we were still able to give them prompts as we would have done if a verbal conversation. We’ve also run online orals for students who are overseas.

We allow 20 minutes for each viva: 15 minutes for the assessment and 5 minutes for the two markers to agree on their mark and write the feedback, guided by the model answers and mark scheme which contains specific criteria for each question type.

With breaks, this means we can get through 16 in a day so, for a cohort of 50 to 70 students, this requires three days of vivas, scheduled around exams. Overall, though, we find the workload generally equivalent to marking essays, with the distinct advantage that they are moderated in the moment.

Student feedback

Feedback from students is generally very positive. They are clearly appreciated by students who don’t thrive in written exams as it gives them an opportunity to showcase their knowledge in a different way. Students also liked fact the assessment was more ‘real world’ in that it felt more like a conversation one might have with colleagues in the workplace, and that assessment helped them develop skills they thought would be useful in interviews.

The negative feedback we receive on the oral assessment generally relates to specific questions or topics covered, e.g. when a topic a student had hoped for didn’t come up, or they were asked about a topic they were less keen on.

Top tips

• In the first year, be prepared to invest lots of time up front developing your question banks (but once developed you need only tweak them from time to time, e.g. to refine them based on student performance and feedback).
• Streamline the viva meeting, and save your voice, by giving students printed instructions in advance.
• Empathy and understanding are crucial, as students may be nervous, as is flexibility and the recognition that students may have different ways of expressing their knowledge.
• Schedule regular breaks, both to avoid fatigue and ensure quality feedback.

Please note

Since sharing her approach with Learning Matters, in August 2024, Louise has left The University of Sussex to pursue some new adventures. So, if you have any questions, please contact the new module convenor, Professor Neil Crickmore.