#Remotely proctored meaning software#

#Remotely proctored meaning software#

Observation software uses students’ cameras and microphones. Lockdown browsers prevent students from doing anything else on their computer while they’re taking the exam-whether it’s looking up answers or messaging with classmates-thereby limiting students’ activity to the completion of their test. Remote proctoring technologies can take a variety of forms, from verifying students’ identity when they sit down to take the test at their computer to directly monitoring students during exam sessions with a webcam and microphone. The authors found that in their analysis of 147 students’ exam results, “ on average, students using proctoring software scored 17 points (out of 100) lower than students who did not use the software.” A 2018 study in the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching appears to corroborate these claims. According to this 2017 article from Inside Higher Ed, administrators and remote proctoring companies have argued that when students know they are being monitored, they are less likely to cheat. Instructors at many institutions have adopted remote proctoring technologies in the hope that they will prevent students from cheating on assignments and exams. Pros: Remote proctoring keeps students from cheating In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of using remote proctoring technologies, and we’ll briefly discuss some alternative strategies for making sure students’ work is their own. During COVID-19, as institutions had to shift to remote learning, the popularity of these tools grew: Inside Higher Ed reported that in April 2020, just a month after many campuses had to close, “ 54 percent of institutions were using online or remote proctoring services, while another 23 percent were considering or planning to use them.” Many instructors use remote proctoring technology, such as lockdown browsers or webcam monitoring, to simulate the strictness of in-classroom proctoring. When students take an online exam, it’s difficult for instructors to monitor them and make sure they aren’t looking up or sharing answers on their computer or phone. During an in-person exam, students are all in the same space, completing the test material at the same time under the watchful eye of a professor or TA. It’s that wonderful time of year again-final exams! As has most likely become apparent in the past year, giving an exam in an online course is different from doing so in the regular classroom, especially when it comes to maintaining academic integrity.

Pros and Cons of Remote Proctoring Technology