Gaze detection technology uses computer vision and artificial intelligence algorithms to track the movement of a test taker’s eyes. By monitoring a student’s gaze, online proctors can detect instances of collaboration, distraction, or the use of unauthorized materials, and take appropriate actions.
<p id="">Choosing online test administration software with monitoring that is not too intrusive but still does the job is a balancing act. In deciding which proctoring solutions strike the right balance between exam vigilance and deference to the privacy of students, schools can use two ideas that are ubiquitous in <a href="https://www.rosalyn.ai/blog/8-essential-online-exam-security-tips-to-maintain-academic-integrity-ros" target="_blank" id="">information security</a> and human interface design: <em id="">minimization</em> and <em id="">personal</em> <em id="">agency</em>.<br></p><blockquote id="">“Minimization is the Principle of reducing needless size, complexity, and overly burdensome assets...Minimization makes the practitioner’s job easier by reducing the number of things to care about, and by extension, the number of things that can go wrong.”<em id=""><br><br></em><a href="https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/security-from-first/9781491996911/" target="_blank" id="">Security from First Principles</a> by Craig Jackson, Scott Russell, Susan Sons</blockquote><blockquote id="">“Experienced users strongly desire the sense that they are in charge of the interface and that the interface responds to their actions. ”<em id=""><br><br></em><a href="https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/ben/goldenrules.html" target="_blank" id="">The Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design</a> by Ben Schneiderman, Univ. of Maryland</blockquote><p id="">Minimization means capturing only that personal information and data needed to make sure students don’t take unfair advantage on an exam. Personal agency is the experience of controlling both one’s body and the external environment. In the context of remote proctoring, applying these principles means that students’ privacy is only intruded on so far as necessary to make sure students don’t take unfair advantage on an exam. </p><p id="">Remote proctoring can be very intrusive. Some browser-based systems can access every file on your computer before, during, and after a test session. They can automatically shut down other applications and take control of your microphone and webcam. Remote proctoring requires some control over the test environment. How much is subject to debate. The respect given to human agency in how that control is ceded and taken back, however, can mean the difference in student sentiment between active support and seething resentment.</p><figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-normal" data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align="normal" data-rt-max-width=""><div id=""><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62d16f38feb6847d371ffacc/62e02fe585fdc831112e9d14_60a6ade1f1e51a3633985a1c_online-test-administration-software-monitoring-2.jpg" loading="lazy" id="" width="auto" height="auto"></div></figure>
As Covid-19 restrictions begin to disappear, so do many academic institutions’ plans to offer online learning opportunities. This comes as unwelcome news to many students who have experienced the benefits of remote education and threatens to create significant barriers to academic success. By understanding the benefits of online proctoring of exams at home, institutions will be better equipped to offer the kinds of learning experiences necessary to attract, retain, and support students.
<p id="">Online proctoring is monitoring students remotely while they are taking their tests. Remote proctors watch and listen to students through their laptop’s webcam and microphone while taking an exam. Coupled with processes to verify the test-taker’s identity and test delivery software that prevents them from running other applications or attaching devices to the computer, this remote test invigilation makes tests more fair. By deterring, detecting, and discovering attempts by examinees to gain an unfair advantage, test administrators preserve their exams’ integrity. The credentials and reputation of educational institutions depend on academic integrity.</p><p id="">For some students, an online proctored exam with a webcam is uncomfortable. They’re concerned about privacy, equity and inclusion, and being accused falsely of cheating. School administrators can address many remote proctoring critiques by choosing an online proctoring vendor that places a premium on a positive student experience.</p>
<p id="">To better support students, many institutions are considering keeping or even expanding online learning environments as permanent additions to in-person options. But what happens when the reliability of online test administration comes into question?<br></p><p id="">The ability to ensure test validity is a vital variable when creating instructional and assessment strategies. When students can take tests from anywhere, it’s impossible to standardize the exam experience. Without oversight, students may be tempted to gain an unfair advantage, compromising <a href="https://www.rosalyn.ai/blog/8-essential-online-exam-security-tips-to-maintain-academic-integrity-ros" target="_blank" id="">the integrity of the exam</a> and damaging trust in the evaluation process. These tips can help academic institutions find trustworthy solutions that support online test administration reliability and help students get the most out of remote learning. </p>
We are excited to announce some major updates to Rosalyn that will change the way universities conduct online exams. We have identified a need for more control over settings for any given exam based on customer feedback, and we are happy to announce that our new exam rules, web resources and calculator features have satisfied that need.
Learn how four students rate their online exam experience using the most popular proctoring platforms.
As educators and certifying organizations increase their reliance on remote testing, students’ voicing of concerns about privacy and the intrusiveness of the technology is reaching a crescendo. Ultimately, the issue is about much more than protecting the privacy of test-takers’ confidential information.
Educational institutions developing their online administration guidance spend a lot of time listening to technologists and test company vendors. There is one more class of stakeholders they should listen to: students.
Choosing the right remote proctoring technology can help minimize the negative opinions associated with online proctoring and offer meaningful benefits for students.
Online proctoring tools with webcam access should thoughtfully integrate AI to create better student assessment experiences.
Cutting-edge online test administration in graduate degree programs can help students and institutions thrive.
Online proctoring software anxiety is common when the platform used does not prioritize the student experience.