Information Technology | Columbia Law School
Take Home Exam Instructions
We will be using the Law School's courseweb system to deliver and retrieve Professor Margit Cohn's Spring 2013 8-hour take-home exam in Comparative Constitutional Law. In short, you will be able to download your take home exam from the courseweb system and submit your answer file to the courseweb system.
The overall procedure is a three step process:
- Download a PDF copy of your exam from the courseweb.
- Write the exam on your laptop or desktop.
- Upload a PDF version of your answers to the courseweb.
Step 1: Download a PDF copy of your exam
You can log into Coursewebs at http://coursewebs.law.columbia.edu to download your Comparative Constitutional take-home exam. The exam will be made available on Monday, May 13, 2013 at 10:00am EDT. The Comparative Constitutional 8-hour take-home exam is an 8-hour exam that will start at 10:00 am EDT on Monday, May 13, 2013 and end at 06:00pm EDT on Monday, May 13, 2013. You will have 8 hours to complete the exam and to upload it in PDF format to the courseweb within the available time period. If you download the exam file after 10:00am you will have less than 8 hours for the exam.
To log in to the coursewebs, use your CLS network account—the same username and password that you use to log in to the computer labs and LawNet. After you log in, you will be taken to a menu of courses you are registered for. In this case, you should choose 13S LAW_L6223_001 Comparative Constitutional Law. Click on Link to course web to enter the Comparative Constitutional Law class. If you are unable to access the courseweb for Professor Margit Cohn's Comparative Constitutional Law Class course, contact the IT helpdesk immediately, and well before Monday, May 13, 2013.
Once you have reached the courseweb for your Comparative Constitutional Law section, you will see a link labeled "Download Exam"' on the left side of the page. This link will be activated when the exam is made available. Click on the link and follow the online instructions to retrieve your copy of the exam.
Step 2: Write the exam
The instructor's individual exam instructions will be included within the exam itself. Please note the following additional instructions applying to all online take-home exams.
- You should prepare your exam answers in electronic format, using the word processing software of your choice.
- You should ensure that your name does NOT appear anywhere on the document -- either in the text, or in the document properties.
- The document header must include your exam identification number (see screen shot below for location of your exam number).
Step 3: Create and upload a PDF version of your answers
Before submitting your exam answer, you must convert it into PDF format. If you use a Macintosh, Vista or Windows 7 PC computer, PDF creation options are very likely already built in to your word processing software. If not, you can use a free utility called CutePDF.
If you are uncertain how to create PDF files, we encourage you to visit the IT helpdesk well before your final exam to explore the options that fits your needs. The IT helpdesk can be reached Mon - Fri 9:00am to 5:00pm in Jerome Greene Hall, room 731. In the meantime, you may find the following tutorials helpful:
When you are ready to upload your PDF version of your answer file, please return to the Comparative Constitutional Law courseweb at http://coursewebs.law.columbia.edu. You will see a link labeled "Submit Exam"' on the left side of the page. Click on this link and follow the online instructions. Please make sure ONLY YOUR EXAM ID (NOT YOUR NAME) is included in the PDF file you are submitting. Your exam ID is located directly below the Choose file icon. Please see image below and also check the important information on supported browsers.
Once you successfully submit your exam, you will see the following pop-up message. You will also receive an email confirmation. Please allow extra time to receive email confirmations. We send the email confirmation immediately, but many factors can influence how fast it appears in your inbox (internet traffic, software settings, internet service providers, etc). The answer file you submit is the answer file your professor will see.
Supported Browsers
Only Internet Explorer and Firefox Browsers are supported on this platform. Please do not use Google Chrome, Opera, or Safari to download the exam or to upload your answer file.
Service & Support
The IT helpdesk will be on hand for assistance throughout the following period:
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Monday, May 13, 2013, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. EDT.
Please contact the IT helpdesk at helpdesk@law.columbia.edu with a contact number and/or email where we can reach you during the exam window and someone will respond within 5 - 15 minutes.
NOTE: Questions about the exam itself cannot be answered by the IT Helpdesk staff. If you have questions about the exam, address them in your exam answer, making your question and how you addressed it clear to Professor Margit Cohn.