By now everyone is well aware that the Covid-19 pandemic did not only impact our economy and social lives, but massively changed the delivery and reception of education. The sudden interest in e-learning demonstrated some advantages to staff and students. However, it also prompted serious concern surrounding the credibility of online examinations, due to the lack of supervision.
The solution? Proctoring software.
What is proctoring?
Proctoring refers to the monitoring of an examination to prevent impersonation and cheating. Pre-Covid, these were often staff members; a little scary-looking with their arms crossed in front of their bodies, critically eyeing each and every table. Post-Covid, as examinations world-wide have been moved online, this job is now being performed by proctoring software.
How does remote proctoring work?
Though there are different forms of remote proctoring, they all rely on access to a Laptop, webcam, mic and stable internet connection.
The form of remote proctoring most similar to in-person proctoring is called live proctoring. In this, a third party member watches a group of students via their webcam as they sit their exam. This is different from automated proctoring, as cheating behaviour is not detected by a proctoring software, but the third party member. Another type of remote proctoring, called subsequent proctoring, relies on logs and images taken of a student throughout the examination, to identify cheating behaviour later on.
Each type of remote proctoring comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, no best way of proctoring has been established.
Why is proctoring important?
Proctoring is a technology that supports the continuous growth of the e-learning industry. It is thanks to remote proctoring softwares, like Active-Class, that institutions can reap the benefits of online examinations, without sacrificing their credibility and authenticity.
Does proctoring really work?
The body of research directly studying the effectiveness of online proctoring is still small. It is therefore likely that new conclusions will be drawn, based on the results of subsequent research. Nonetheless there has been convincing evidence that remote proctoring is an effective tool in ensuring credibility of online examinations.
A study by professors from Radford University [1] found that cheating behaviour drastically declined after the introduction of online proctoring methods. This conclusion followed the observation that student’s performance in the absence of proctoring softwares was significantly higher, than after the introduction of these technologies. This is in line with prior research, indicating an influx in cheating behaviour in unproctored exam environments [2].
Active-Class is the latest innovation in the world of proctoring. Drawing from advanced AI and new-age behavioural sciences, Active-Class has been able to develop an LMS-integrated proctoring service that reduces the intrusiveness on the examinee while maximising the exam’s credibility.
Overall, this shows that proctoring softwares like Active-Class, can aid institutions in preventing impersonation and cheating behaviour. This in turn ensures credibility, fairness and equity.
Additional Reading
[1] Dendir S. & Maxwell R. S. (2020). Cheating in Online Examinations: Evidence from Online Proctoring. Computers in Human Behaviour Report, 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2020.100033
[2] Dyer J. M., Pettyjohn H. C. & Saladin S. (2020). Academic Dishonesty and Testing: How Student Beliefs and Test Settings Impact Decisions to Cheat. Journal of the National College Testing, 4(1).
