The Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting (BCompt Financial) third-year students, under the College of Accounting Sciences (CAS) faculty at Unisa, are demanding venue-based examinations.
The call comes after students urged the institution to abandon hybrid exams, and reinstate full-time venue-based exams, as the IRIS invigilating app continues to not only flag students, but they rarely have access to laptops and reliable Wi-Fi to write exams, which negatively affects their mental health and academic performance.
*Mathew, a third-year student who cannot be named, told ‘The Star’ that IRIS software was piloted last year for CTA (competent in the of Accountancy) third-year students. The software was chaotic, to an extent a memorandum was issued to the South African Institution of Chartered Accountants (Saica) to hear the plight of students by abandoning hybrid exams.
In the memorandum, CTA students detailed key issues for Saica to intervene, namely demanding venue-based exams and abandoning IRIS software.
“Due to non-venue based exams, students are forced to find a venue to write, where there is no load shedding, stable internet and a quiet area. Due to IRIS invigilating software, students are required to obtain additional routers for when cell towers are down due to load shedding, a venue located in a location where the internet is always on.”
The memorandum corroborates with an ongoing petition by BCompt Financial students to denounce hybrid-exams. In the petition, launched on June 18, human invigilators exams will maintain the integrity of examinations and restore students’ mental health.
So far, 635 students have signed the petition with a goal of 1000 student signatures.
*Mathew explained BCompt students, for the first time, were assessed through IRIS on May 3 for test 1.
Because students lamented that they were not trained to navigate the invigilating app, Unisa held an impromptu IRIS workshop on June 12 during the course of test week, where students were writing test 2 between June 10 to 14. Here, students did not have ample time to manoeuvre the app for tests.
Asked whether the institution was inconsiderate of students’ outcries, Unisa nullified the allegations, saying: “IRIS workshops were conducted on different dates. One was on June 18 and the second one was on the 22nd. Students were given an option to choose the date that was suitable for them. The workshops were well presented. The test dates from the 10th to the 14th of June were not affected by the workshops.”
However, *Amanda, another student who cannot be named, said the workshop did not entirely equip them to utilise the app.
“This app has already let CTA students down. Most questions raised in training were not answered,” she said.
Both students stated that IRIS drained their mental health because the sudden workshop caused them panic and anxiety, thus struggling to write during test week, especially since test 3 is about to commence on July 29.
The students said Unisa had circulated two compulsory surveys. The first one about students preferring venue-based exams, and the second one which subtly threatened students that if it is incomplete, they will not write final exams in October.
“The second survey caused panic among students as it threatens students they will not write exams, if they don’t complete it,” said *Amanda.
Unisa did not acknowledge the second survey about students’ mental health but said: “The surveys for third-year module students were circulated for students to select the venues where they will write exams. A communication was also sent to students in May 2024 with all details regarding venue-based exams and preparing students for IRIS.”
The students added that IRIS software requires students to have laptops with certain specifications, including reliable internet. Most students are NSFAS-funded thus, they cannot afford such laptops.
Therefore, they questioned the new CAS dean, Dr Moses Hlongoane, who promised in an article by ‘The Star’ that he will prioritise students’ mental health and establish forums that will support the 60% students who are financially challenged.
“The new dean said upon his appointment that the university has 60% of under privileged students. So, how will those students obtain laptops months before exams, when they have been accustomed to internet cafes?
“Not everyone works on a laptop, some use desktops and tablets to study. When load shedding occurs, my laptop switches off,” said *Amanda.
*Mathew noted he bought a router with his NSFAS allowance in order to write online exams, the money could have been used to buy other education essentials.
Despite students’ grievances, Unisa maintained a laptop/computer with a webcam and reliable Wi-Fi is mandatory as stipulated in registration rules.
*Amanda rubbished the institution, noting students were aware about laptop requirements, but IRIS was abruptly endorsed to mitigate cheating without consulting with students.
“Upon registration, the university says exams are online, which is formal communication in terms of agreeing with the registration. Now 6 months down the line, this consensus has changed without consultation,” she said.
While Unisa is adamant the IRIS was formulated to mitigate cheating and uphold the integrity of the institution, both students, including the CTA memorandum, alerted that a certain “Mr Exam” continues to leak exams and tests to students.
Hence, *Amanda emphasised that venue-based exams are another way to counter cheating and protect Unisa’s integrity.
“Every Unisa student gets an SMS from people offering to assist in tests. Plagiarism is rife at Unisa, but there should be other ways to mitigate cheating,” she said.
*Mathew said students’ grievances have fallen on deaf ears, despite written complaints to CAS communications office, EFF SRC and Saica.
Instead, he alleged that Unisa has an “I do not care” attitude towards students.
Unisa defended itself, noting its lecturers cared about students.
“In this particular case, all questions and queries have been consolidated. A consolidated response is being prepared in consultation with the Directorate: Student Assessments Administration and will be sent to students in due course. It is simply not true that we have an ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards students,” said Unisa.
The paper spoke with executive director: Learning and National Imperatives for Saica, Robert Zawane about heeding to students’ demands, he said: “Saica does not get involved in operational matters relating to the running of a provider’s programme. Based on Saica’s ongoing engagements with Unisa, they have re-introduced hybrid venue-based exams for PGDA students (2023) and they are extending this to third-year subjects as well in 2024.”
He furthermore noted, Saica ensures that programmes are fairly assessed and held with integrity.
“It would not be appropriate for Saica to comment on whether Unisa contributes to the failure of students as this is influenced by many factors. However, where queries are raised by students through Saica, Saica engages with all endorsed programmes and alerts them to questions raised. Saica will continue to engage with the institution to ensure that assessment policies and practice meet the principles referred to above,” said Zwane.
The Star