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fujiyamasan

(1,657 posts)

66. I may have been among the last to use a blue book

Reply to Jacson6 (Reply #8)

Wed Mar 25, 2026, 06:34 PM

12 hrs ago

This was about 20 years ago.

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Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI [View all] Coventina 14 hrs ago OP

Excellent! SheltieLover 14 hrs ago #1

Sounds good until you consider the issue of anonymity... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #2

How is that any different from grading written assignments? Coventina 14 hrs ago #3

At all the colleges I attended, finals/midterms were submitted with randomly assigned numbers - not names... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #6

I have never encountered such a system in all my years of being a student or professor. n/t Coventina 14 hrs ago #7

That's how it was (and, I am sure, still is) done throughout the entire University of California system. PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #11

I'll take your word for it in regards to UC, but I'm pretty confident that's not the norm. Coventina 14 hrs ago #12

This is the direct quote from U.C. Berkeley Law's academic guidelines... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #15

OK, so that's law school. And only testing, not other forms of assignments. Coventina 14 hrs ago #16

I literally just wrote..."The same rule is mirrored at all UC campuses, law school and undergrad alike." PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #17

Please provide the link that says this applies to all undergrad programs. n/t Coventina 14 hrs ago #18

Google each campus and "anonymous grading" and you'll find your link... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #20

I just did so and according to Google (which you recommended) it only applies to law schools Coventina 14 hrs ago #21

I'm not going through all 30+ campuses. But, this should suffice since, for whatever reason, you don't believe me... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #23

So, it is used sporadically and is not mandatory. n/t Coventina 14 hrs ago #25

Believe whatever you choose. But, having attended UCs for both undergraduate and graduate school... PeaceWave 14 hrs ago #29

All I can say is that your experience has been nothing like mine, either as a student or professor. Coventina 14 hrs ago #31

Anonymous grading probably sprung out of the politics at UC campuses... PeaceWave 13 hrs ago #37

Well, your assertions about what is "policy" is being disputed here by more posters Coventina 13 hrs ago #39

I'm entirely confident in what I personally witnessed in the UC System... PeaceWave 13 hrs ago #41

Ummmmm Okay. Coventina 13 hrs ago #43

You didn't go through all teh campuses because most don't do this, and there aren't 30+ obamanut2012 13 hrs ago #33

There are 30+ UC and Cal State schools. PeaceWave 13 hrs ago #38

Because they are incorrect obamanut2012 14 hrs ago #32

Thanks! A more informed voice is much appreciated here. nt Coventina 13 hrs ago #36

That is not correct about the University of California system. nt PufPuf23 14 hrs ago #28

Yup, it is not accurate obamanut2012 13 hrs ago #34

The vast majority of the grade for every university course I taught was anonymous. Ms. Toad 12 hrs ago #56

This is exactly as I recall, except that it was this way in both undergrad and grad school... PeaceWave 11 hrs ago #72

I'm pretty sure my undergrad and MS grades weren't anonymously graded. Ms. Toad 9 hrs ago #76

The old joke at Berkeley when I was an undergrad there was about the guy who... PeaceWave 9 hrs ago #77

As a professor, that wouldn't have worked with me. Ms. Toad 8 hrs ago #81

No such thing in the performing or fine arts. progressoid 14 hrs ago #24

Not one of mine did that -- either as a student ro instructor obamanut2012 14 hrs ago #30

My wife has been a college professor for 30 years... Happy Hoosier 13 hrs ago #44

Seems odd OC375 14 hrs ago #13

Any objective research into how large your asserted problem is nationwide? Torchlight 14 hrs ago #19

I think a better approach would be a written exam, in class, with the questions delivered orally. Trueblue Texan 13 hrs ago #51

Isn't a "take home exam" just fancy talk for "homework"? OC375 12 hrs ago #61

Take home exams were miserable. You ended up working all night on them. Better to get it done in 3 hours. PeaceWave 12 hrs ago #64

LOL. To each their own. :) OC375 11 hrs ago #71

God no. 3 hours. Crush that thing. On to the next. Then, party like hell when it's all done. PeaceWave 11 hrs ago #73

For more advanced courses, a 3 hour exam can't... Lucky Luciano 11 hrs ago #70

Count me incredibly unsurprised... And good on them for doing this... hlthe2b 14 hrs ago #4

Great idea Mysterian 14 hrs ago #5

Just have them write essays and solve math problems by writing in a blue book. Jacson6 14 hrs ago #8

Bingo. Those were the days. You were handed the questions and you had 3 hours to get it done. PeaceWave 13 hrs ago #46

never heard of a blue book. can you give a bit more detail? i figure if i google it then i'll get a lot of links about orleans 12 hrs ago #57

It was a multipage blank paper notebook with a blue cover. Jacson6 12 hrs ago #59

A Blue Book had 12 sheets of paper...24 pages front and back. You were cruising if you needed a second book. PeaceWave 12 hrs ago #60

thanks. that helps. nt orleans 12 hrs ago #62

I may have been among the last to use a blue book fujiyamasan 12 hrs ago #66

Excellent Idea OC375 14 hrs ago #9

This is an effective way to defeat cheating via AI FakeNoose 14 hrs ago #10

I've given up on trying to teach my students writing. Coventina 14 hrs ago #14

I completely agree, the remedial work needs to be done before they get to your classes FakeNoose 13 hrs ago #35

Given the obstacles, it appears the most honest method Torchlight 14 hrs ago #22

This should have been done years before AI synni 14 hrs ago #26

I like it... 2naSalit 14 hrs ago #27

I am an art prof Starry Messenger 13 hrs ago #40

I contend that testing is pointless. Gore1FL 13 hrs ago #42

That's the thing. I stopped giving tests years ago. Coventina 13 hrs ago #45

Sad you have to outwit learners nowadays OC375 11 hrs ago #69

I'm confused. Students are accessing their phones during the test? CrispyQ 12 hrs ago #58

I research everyday for a living in my IT job. Gore1FL 12 hrs ago #63

So open book is okay, but not Google or AI. Right? -nt CrispyQ 12 hrs ago #65

I use Google regularly. I have used AI, but prefer Google. Gore1FL 10 hrs ago #75

That's not what the discussion is about, but okay. -nt CrispyQ 8 hrs ago #79

It was an answer to your question. If the answer is off-topic, that's on you. nt Gore1FL 8 hrs ago #80

One on one discussions sound great. But aren't they time-consuming? Jim__ 13 hrs ago #47

Fortunately, I have fairly small classes. Coventina 13 hrs ago #48

That sounds great! Jim__ 13 hrs ago #49

I had to do one of these just to get my Bachelors kairos12 13 hrs ago #50

My kid had to write a thesis on a topic related to his major and defend it to graduate from his liberal arts college. Raftergirl 12 hrs ago #52

just a thought lapfog_1 12 hrs ago #53

i dont do well on written tests , so i always asked for oral tests , in fact, AllaN01Bear 12 hrs ago #54

No Critical Thinking Pucks mom 12 hrs ago #55

AI has taken a wrecking ball to education: highplainsdem 10 hrs ago #74

Long overdue. Raven123 11 hrs ago #67

I approve this wholeheartedly. Lucky Luciano 11 hrs ago #68

I refuse to use it gay texan 8 hrs ago #78

That's always been a major component of science fair judging. hunter 7 hrs ago #82