Incoming freshmen are now taking their math placement tests via cyberspace, and are spending more time during orientation getting acquainted with OSU.According to Peter March, professor and chair of the OSU Math Department, incoming freshmen are able to take their math placement tests before coming to OSU for orientation, which has improved the orientation experience for the students and their parents.March said the main advantage to online placement testing is that it frees up valuable time during orientation, where incoming freshmen can talk more about student life rather than taking tests. “The Office of Academic Affairs and the Math Department have been discussing the online testing for many years to improve orientation, and finally we decided it was time,” March said.He said the online testing also allows the university to obtain placement results before orientation, which helps both the student and academic advisors.”The students will have taken the placement exam weeks before orientation, so we know right away where to schedule them, instead of waiting half-way through orientation for their results,” March said.If students are unable to take the tests prior to orientation, March said testing in the old format on campus is made available during orientation.March and Phillis Miller, director of student orientation at OSU have both said that questions about cheating have been raised.”This is one of the stickiest points for us,” March said.March said that he sends a letter to the incoming freshmen and parents prior to orientation which explains the implications of cheating.”If the student uses inappropriate help, they will be placed in a more difficult course that they won’t do well in, and will find themselves in a very unpleasant situation,” March said.”If they try to do poorly on the test to get in a lower math class so as not to be challenged, they will be delaying graduation by needing to take more classes. It is really in the best interest of the student not to cheat. All of this is explained in the newsletter I sent out,” he said.Matt Izor, an incoming freshman planning to major in zoology said he thought the test was done really well and that he did not have the temptation to cheat. “If you cheated, it would just hurt you,” he said. “It doesn’t count as a grade, it’s just where you take the class, so it doesn’t make sense to cheat.”March said the math department tried to make the online test as user friendly as possible. He said the student taking the test can skip to any question they want and a summary screen is available to inform which questions have been answered and which need to be completed. March also said the time limit and difficulty are the same as the on campus versions. When the student clicks the test’s start button, an internal clock begins counting down the time, and every time the student clicks to a new screen the clock is updated for them.”We chose not to have the clock posted on the screen during all of the test because we didn’t want to create anymore pressure for the student,” March said.When the student is finished with the test, they are instantly given their test result and can then click on to the Math Department’s home page to figure out which classes they need to schedule, he said.Miller has found that the incoming students have reacted favorably to the online math placement test and the students have asked to take all placement tests on the internet. “Where credit is not available for the math test, language students can get credit with the foreign language placement tests” Miller said. “We wouldn’t want to give credit when students are taking the tests in an unsecured environment.”Miller and March have both said that they have been very pleased with the results of the online testing.”We don’t anticipate going back to pencil and paper testing,” March said. “The online testing is clearly the way of the future.”Miller said two new sessions have been added to this year’s orientation program thanks to the extra time from the online testing.”The two new sessions titled ‘Strategy for Success’ teach the incoming freshmen what they’ll need to do in and out of the college classroom to make an easy transition into the university,” Miller said.During the day, the students and parents learn how to make a smooth transition into the university, and then in the evening, resident life staff members meet with the students in small groups in order for the incoming freshmen to get to know each other and obtain an understanding of campus life, Miller said.Miller also said the online math placement exam allows for a more stress-free orientation experience.”Testing on campus (during orientation) creates anxiety for the students where they are not able to be relaxed about the math test and where they will be placed,” she said. “This is one less thing to worry about because the test is out of the way.”