Oral Examination as an Opportunity for Increased Student Learning

Abstract

Although oral examination has received increased attention in recent years, this is still an underutilized assessment method in higher education. One of the reasons may be the lack of concrete guidance on how to design an oral examination. This article therefore aims at providing inspiration and support on how oral examinations can be conducted, including a discussion of their benefits and drawbacks. The article also aims at contributing to a changed view of student assessment to not only comprise an occasion for testing students’ knowledge and understanding, but also for providing an opportunity for student learning. The article outlines how groupwise oral examination can provide this added value.