Scheduling is a major problem for advisors and students at small schools with limited sections of many classes. This class could fit anyone's schedule. After positive faculty and student experiences, it is easier to expand into other courses with only one section. Faculty peers were initially very concerned about how we would handle testing and test security. But to require students to come onto campus would undermine access to the very students for whom the course was designed.
Tests proctored by third parties also have security problems.
Asking friends for help isn't a realistic option when a good answer requires higher order thinking along with a great deal of supporting factual knowledge. Meet concerns about comparative quality with objective testing. We used the results of these tests in the many presentations we made to faculty groups. After all, one of the rewards of teaching is reaching out to and communicating with students. This complaint has not arisen in the anonymous course evaluations that our students are required to complete.