Interactive oral examinations
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In this episode of Higher Ed Heroes, Dr. Sebastian Kempf and Dr. Alastair Stark explore the innovative use of interactive oral examinations in higher education, featuring two University of Sydney lecturers: Ben Miller and Clara Sitbon. Ben, who teaches a first-year writing course with over 900 students, describes an assessment where students pitch their final essays to a media producer in a live, unscripted conversation, requiring them to adapt their work for new audiences and formats. Clara, teaching French and francophone studies in smaller classes, uses orals to assess student learning, group dynamics, and ethical AI use, often uncovering unexpected insights and building student confidence. Both guests emphasize that these assessments are not just about evaluation but about fostering curiosity, authentic learning, and meaningful dialogue. The episode highlights how interactive orals shift the assessment dynamic from performance to conversation, allowing both students and markers to learn from each other. Despite initial anxiety from students and markers, feedback shows growing appreciation for the experience, with many calling it the highlight of the course.
Interactive oral exams foster deeper learning by asking students to think about the future of their work, not just the final product.
Interrupting scripted responses with curveballs and extenders forces on-the-spot thinking and reveals authentic understanding.
Orals create a two-way learning experience—markers gain new insights, and students develop confidence and critical thinking.
Preparation is key: mock orals, clear rubrics, and training markers ensure consistency and reduce anxiety.
Ethical AI use can be explored constructively through open-ended questions in the oral, guiding students to reflect on their practices.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introducing Interactive Oral Exams
The hosts introduce the episode’s focus: interactive oral examinations, with a personal anecdote from Dr. Stark about his own oral exam experience. They welcome guests Benjamin Miller and Clara Sitbon, who have implemented oral assessments in vastly different class sizes and disciplines.
Ben’s 900-Student Interactive Oral
“We train our markers to immediately interrupt the student and say, I'll hold you. I'll just ask you to pause there and use different language. Our readers won't understand this academic jargon. Can you put it in a different way?”
Clara’s Smaller-Scale Orals in French Studies
“I get to have an insight into a way of thinking about it that I haven't necessarily done before. So things about a text that I didn't see or ways to tackle a topic that I didn't see before.”
The Purpose and Design of Interactive Orals
The hosts and guests discuss the pedagogical purpose behind interactive orals: to assess the learning process, not just the product. They emphasize the importance of constructive alignment, student-led conversation, and using the oral as a space for curiosity and authentic dialogue.
Rubrics, Curveballs, and the Art of Interruption
“You might say, well, wow, what a great story about Martin Luther King if that's what their essay was on. I'm just really curious about how that connects to such and such...”
“Only since running the interactive orals, we've started to see comments on our surveys at the end of the semester saying that the assessments are actually the best part of the unit.”
“We train our markers to immediately interrupt the student and say, I'll hold you. I'll just ask you to pause there and use different language. Our readers won't understand this academic jargon. Can you put it in a different way?”
“The real value lies in the process: curiosity, conversation, and the human connection that emerges during assessment.”
Hosts
Guests
Benjamin Miller
person
Clara Sitbon
person
interactive oral assessment
other
Dr. Sebastian Kempf
person
generative AI
other
Dr. Alastair Stark
person
University of Sydney
organization
mock oral
other
podcast
other
Microsoft Bookings
product
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