Handwritten vs typed essay examsin a first year, first semester course

Jessie Paterson, School of DivinityNora Mogey, Institute for Academic Development

The University of Edinburgh

Dec 2010 May 2011 Dec 2011

Type 13 (9.4%) 11 (8.6%) ??

Hand 125 117 Class total 63

Students in School of Divinity and the choice they made

for their examination

Versions for PC and Mac

Students download & install

www.extegrity.com

Word count, timer provided

Student can change font size, colour and set a timer

Questions still on paper

Diagrams better on paper

Foreign language characters OK

Course team decide on options eg spellchecking

Locks laptop so no access

to internet / hard drive

Regular snapshots of student work

All data encoded

Final submission via wireless network

Scripts can be printed for marking

Basic word processor only

What do we know already?

In a fixed time, most students type more than they can handwrite

(but we know some are also very slow or very anxious)

Score correlates with amount written (for essays) (Powers, 2005)

…. but not necessarily in timed conditions (Lovett, 2010)

Frequent revision of essay drafts correlates with score (Burke & Cizek, 2006)

The same words handwritten or typed WON’T get the same mark (unless we give the markers extra training!) (Powers et al, 1994; Mogey et al 2008)

Comfort with what’s familiar

Typing speed

Anticipated differences in writing

Revision of finished work

Concentration

I have always written exam essays by hand; it’s what I am

used to and what I expect

When typing I tend to type fast and have

to go back and correct the inevitable

mistakes

I will feel more inclined to re-read my work on computer

I’m not sure whether using a computer would actually hinder my ability to write fluently and

condense what I mean, as I would be constantly going back

over my work and rewording parts of it

My hand won’t hurt as much on a

computer

With the computer it is

easier to have an overview and to

organise the structure

What would you do?

Why ?

Can you be sure that’s the best choice ?

Practice Exam

Two questions, no choice

Everyone does question ‘A’ first, then ‘B’

Half the class type first

Half the class type second

Surveys & focus groups to collect opinions

Essays marked and feedback provided

2 x £50 prizes as an incentive to really try hard !

Student reflections

Note that some students totally changed their minds

Would you ever consider using a computer to word process an essay type exam?

Student reflections

Would you ever consider using a computer to word process an essay type exam?

Yes > No

I feel more comfortable writing in an exam situation

I preferred the hand written exam

No > Yes

I learnt that using a computer is much more productive as it is

more flexible.

I’m quicker and I use a better vocabulary when I type

Student reflections

Would you ever consider using a computer to word process an essay type exam? Students who changed their minds : from Perhaps to Yes ( 13 / 36 )

I also find it helps by just appearing more structured and less

messy than my hand-written exams.

I feel that I am quicker at writing on the computer, and

sometimes more articulate.

I think I may be willing to change

and improve sentences more.

Image from Gersie_Ann, Wikipedia commons

Student reflections

I think I would become distracted by the editing of the structure possible on a computer. I would also be prone to deleting more of my writing so would up with less written work on the topic. Although it may be more accurate, it is a risk that is probably not worth taking.

I felt more confident using the computer since that is what I am used to, possibly over confident, because I felt I was much more careful with the handwritten exam. I think that the main difference in my approach was in my planning. I wrote more words on the computer, probably too many, but had no time to cut down because of my haphazard way of just writing and changing things as I go along.

Planning

I made a plan for the handwritten essay, but not for the computer version.

I stunned myself because I did no planning for the answer that I typed; I simply began to write and revised in the course of the composition of my answer.

I started typing immediately because I knew that I could edit my answer as I went along.

Handwritten I had thought about it before I started so I knew where the essay was going, but less thought was involved in the computer version.

The handwritten version will be better structured.

When typing you write more, so you say more things that might not actually be necessary.

Does planning help? … Yes !

Although the handwritten version is better planned, then you tend to stick to that plan, its not really changed. The typed version develops much more as it goes.

When handwriting, I feel that I am forced to approach the task with linear and sequential thinking, whereas with the ability to type, I am able to come to the task with a more scattergun approach.

Does planning help? … No!

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Score wordprocessed

I made a more detailed plan when using pen & paper

Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNeither Agree nor DisagreeAgreeStrongly Agree

Does planning help ? No convincing info!

Students who plan lots when handwriting should get better marks when handwriting and

hence would appear in this area.

Students who plan more when typing should get better marks when typing and hence would

appear in this area.

I am familiar with gauging my progress in an exam by the number of pages I have written and I did not have the ability to do this with the computer.

It’s a good feeling to know that with typing I am able to insert a thought seamlessly into what I have previously written. It can be embarrassing to do so with handwriting, inserting all sorts of asterisks and arrows pointing to different notes.

How important is appearance?

The computer editing opportunities allowed me to work longer and make revisions that I would not otherwise have done.

It’s faster and it gives you the option of editing your work.

However, I feel that a tutor reads typed and handwritten answers differently, instinctively expecting more lucidity from a typed page. Because of this it seems that handwriting is advantageous, despite the benefits of typing.

Is appearance important for tutors?

Going into this experience, my sense was that my personal strengths were with handwriting the exam and this experience confirmed this to me

Going into this experience, my sense was that my personal strengths were with typing the exam and this experience confirmed this to me

I’m not very good at computers and expected to hate it, but I felt much more relaxed and will probably type in the exam.

Sco

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Score wordprocessed

No response

Predicted performance

“Just a quick email to say what a massive difference it made being able to sit my exam by laptop. I

reckon it made about 15% difference!”

Dec 2010 May 2011 Dec 2011

Type 13 (9.4%) 11 (8.6%) 11 (18.3%)

Hand 125 117 49

So what happened in the exam?

Choice compared to best mark from practice exam

Score in Practice

Hand better

Typed Better

Exam Mode

Handwrite 30 11

Type 7 4

Choice compared to viewpoint after practice exam

Would you consider typing? Mean

scoreYes No Missing

Exam Mode

Handwrite 23 8 18 59%

Type 8 0 3 62%

Of the 11 who typed, 6 had written notes by hand in their exam book, 5 had nothing

News flash!

Dec 2010

May 2011

Dec 2011

May 2012

Type 13 (9.4%)

11 (8.6%)

11 (18.3%)

13

(19%)

Hand 125 117 49 54

References

Burke J & Cizek G (2006) Effects of composition mode and self perceived computer scores on essay grades of sixth graders. Assessing Writing 11(3) 148-166

Lovett B, Lewandowski L, Berger C, Gathje R (2010) Effects of response mode and time allotments on college students’ writing. Journal of College Reading and Learning 40(2) 64-79

Mogey N, Purcell M, Paterson J, Burke J (2008) Handwriting or Typing exams – can we give students the choice? Paper presented at Computer Assisted Assessment conference, July 2008

Powers D, Fowles F, Farnum M & Ramsay P (1994) Will they think less of my handwritten essay if others word process theirs? Effects of essay scores of intermingling handwritten and word processed essays. Journal of Educational Measurement 31, 220-233.

Powers D (2005) Wordiness: A selective review of its influence, and suggestions for investigating its relevance in tests requiring written responses. Research memorandum, Educational testing service.

Thank you for listening

But with special thanks to

HEA, Philospohical and Religious Studies subject centre

Prof. John Cowan

Nora.mogey@ed.ac.uk

Jessie.Paterson@ed.ac.uk