Tag: universities
Why Universities Should Return To Oral Exams In the AI and ChatGPT Era
This type of oral assessment — or viva voce as it was known in Latin — is a tried and tested form of educational assessment. No need to sit in an exam hall, no fear of plagiarism accusations or concerns with students submitting essays generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Integrity is 100% assured, in a fair, reliable and authentic manner that can also be easily used to assess multiple individual or group assignments. As services like ChatGPT continue to grow in terms of both its capabilities and usage — including in education and academia — is it high time for universities to revert to the time-tested oral exam? “Chatbots cannot replicate this sort of task, ensuring student authenticity,” writes Dobson. “I argue that it is time to change our conversation to be more about assessment that actually involves a ‘conversation.'”
“Writing would still be important, but we should learn to re-appreciate the importance of how a student can talk about the knowledge and skills they acquired. Successfully completing a viva could become one of our graduate attributes, as it once was.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Several US Universities Want to Use Micronuclear Reactors
And they’re not the only ones interested in the technology:
Last year, Penn State University signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to collaborate on microreactor technology. Mike Shaqqo, the company’s senior vice president for advanced reactor programs, said universities are going to be “one of our key early adopters for this technology.” Penn State wants to prove the technology so that Appalachian industries, such as steel and cement manufacturers, may be able to use it, said Professor Jean Paul Allain, head of the nuclear engineering department. Those two industries tend to burn dirty fuels and have very high emissions….
“I do feel that microreactors can be a game-changer and revolutionize the way we think about energy,” Allain said. For Allain, microreactors can complement renewable energy by providing a large amount of power without taking up much land. A 10-megawatt microreactor could go on less than an acre, whereas windmills or a solar farm would need far more space to produce 10 megawatts, he added. The goal is to have one at Penn State by the end of the decade….
Nuclear reactors that are used for research are nothing new on campus. About two dozen U.S. universities have them. But using them as an energy source is new.
Other examples from the article:
Purdue University in Indiana “is working with Duke Energy on the feasibility of using advanced nuclear energy to meet its long-term energy needs.”
Abilene Christian University in Texas “is leading a group of three other universities with the company Natura Resources to design and build a research microreactor cooled by molten salt to allow for high temperature operations at low pressure, in part to help train the next generation nuclear workforce.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
ChatGPT Is Making Universities Rethink Plagiarism
TikTok Also Banned by Some US Universities – CNET
Some Universities Are Now Restricting TikTok Access on Campus
“In compliance with the Governor’s Executive Order 2022-33, effective immediately, no university employee or student shall access the TikTok application or website on University-owned or operated devices, including OU wired and wireless networks,” the University of Oklahoma said in an email this week. According to the email, the school will also require that university-administered TikTok accounts be deleted and “alternate social media platforms utilized in their place.” Further reading: TikTok steps up efforts to clinch U.S. security deal.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Major boost for Ireland’s technological universities with new buildings
The new buildings around the country will cost about €250m, with many providing spaces for STEM education.
Read more: Major boost for Ireland’s technological universities with new buildings
Major boost for Ireland’s technological universities with new buildings
The new buildings around the country will cost about €250m, with many providing spaces for STEM education.
Read more: Major boost for Ireland’s technological universities with new buildings