Proctored Exams
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Contents |
Introduction
Some faculty members prefer to have proctored exams for their distance students. Proctoring involves some human support as well as special features in the learning / course management system (L/CMS).
The Setup
Instructors who want facilitated exam-taking by students make a request to the office that supports e-learning. That office then will notify students of the need to identify a proctor (who is not a family member or a friend). Once that proctor has been identified, the facilitation office will contact the proctor independently to set up expectations for the proctoring. This may involve the need to see photo identification for the student. It may involve whether or not the test-taking is open-book or closed-book. It may involve whether the computer is "locked down" from Web searches or not.
On the technology side, the L/CMS is set up to output a particular code for each exam. This code is sent to the proctor and is under the proctor's control.
Typical Proctor Responsibilities
If required, a proctor must be sure all needed technologies are available to the student at the time of the exam.
A proctor handles the actual exam prior to the student taking it and following completion.
A proctor ensures the exam's contents are not compromised.
A proctor ensures the exam is not copied.
A proctor makes sure no other person handles or sees the exam (except the student during the allocated test taking time).
The proctor administers the exam according to the instructor's guidelines (e.g. open book, closed book, calculator access, formula sheet, et cetera).
The proctor ensures the exam timing guidelines are followed. For paper-based exams, the proctor ensures return of the exam to the appropriate contact.
The Actual Test-taking
During the actual test-taking, the proctor uses the code to allow access for the test-taking. If there are any irregularities, the proctor is to notify the facilitation center about that.
Identifying Work-arounds
A proctoring system still is not fool-proof. There may be cases where students have brought on proctors whom they know and who may work with the student to "break" the system. There may be cases where students hack email accounts and fake identities to emulate a proctor.
Even more Stringent Measures
Some distance programs identify computer labs at various locations where their students may live. They schedule examinations in these computer labs, which have both human and technological surveillance. Very high-value exams (such as standardized ones for graduate schools) use locked-down computer labs for assessments, along with the surveillance. These testing situations also require official identification and the emptying of test-taker pockets to ensure nothing is taken into the test environment.