Pulling all-nighters to finish the revisions and checking the school or college notice boards for any last-minute updates for exams. On the other hand, institutes had far more pressure to execute multiple pre-examination tasks simultaneously. For instance, the scheduling of exams, preparing exam question papers and allocating exam seats class-wise in respective exam centers.
However, one of the crucial duties has been to assign invigilators who monitor the students throughout the examination. The traditional education delivery system lost its relevance; instead, institutes had to adopt the online learning approach.
The authenticity of online exams came into question when students gave similar responses to questions; plus, students often take help. As result, Online exam proctoring have been an appropriate solution to tackle the usage of unfair means during online assessments.
So, it is only fitting to check if the proctoring system adds to educational innovation or deterioration:
- Candidate Authentication
What is one of the most common occurrences of online exams? The answer lies in impersonation; examiners and institutes would not have a clue if the student who is supposed to take the test is actually the ‘’one’’ sitting across the computer. Besides, there have been many instances wherein the students have asked an acquaintance or friend to take the test instead of themselves.
Institutes being blindsided by such tactics leads to the degradation of online tests medium; therefore, the demand for a foolproof examination culminated in the adoption of online proctoring software. As a result, schools and colleges are able to establish a robust online examination environment.
Moreover, the software provides various mechanisms that help to facilitate a smooth and reliable examination; for instance, candidate authentication is a critical process that ensures access to registered students. Plus, according to the authentication feature, students need to log in with valid credentials and proceed to show their ID card, which the examiner verifies, enabling them to start the exam.
- Restricted Browser Activity
The first thought that comes to mind when someone says an online exam relates to students opening a browser to find answers to questions. In fact, there was no way to detect browser activity during examinations during the first few years since the inception of online tests.
Thankfully, that has changed because, nowadays, ed-tech solutions constantly evolve and cater to the needs of institutes. Hence, proctoring software is available that comes with features that disable browsing activity, making it difficult for students to open additional websites. They are required to stay on the exam website; in addition, the tool disables the keyboard shortcuts to copy, paste.
On the other hand, when the examinee proceeds to open additional websites, an alert flashes on their screen, instructing them to return to the exam website. Likewise, they get three chances, despite which if they repeat the same error, the system terminates their examination.
- Remote Invigilation
The physical absence of exam conductors or invigilators is a critical factor that often creates a sense of freedom. Besides, while conducting online classes, teachers have found that it is difficult to determine if students were voluntarily responding or reading the answers from another website or book. Now imagine the same scenario during online exams.
It is noteworthy that institutes can elevate the integrity quotient of online proctoring exam with the help of software, which comes with vital proctoring techniques. For instance, live invigilation includes real-time monitoring of students throughout the examination; an institute-assigned proctor supervises the exam.
On the other hand, the recorded proctoring technique includes recording an audio-video feed of the examinee. After which the examiner goes through the recorded exam and marks out specific instances of cheating. Finally, automated advanced proctoring uses Artificial Intelligence(AI) to monitor student activity.
- Comprehensive Continuous Assessment System
Online exams have come a long way from being used once in a while by corporate organizations to test skills. Previously, the lack of appropriate measures to restrict cheating and malpractice contributed to its bad reputation. However, with time, technological advancement led to better-performing tools with effective features.
Institutes can opt to facilitate proctored exam online, not just periodically but from time to time to assess student learning. In fact, it is a shining example of educational innovation because it can conduct continuous comprehensive assessments. Furthermore, teachers can create personalized tests matching individual competencies and knowledge levels.
Consequently, it helps teachers assess students’ potential and help students understand their strengths and weaknesses.
- Assured Security
Data leaks, hacking activities, misuse of personal information, and access to confidential institutional information are significant reasons for concern. That is why institutes strive to establish a secure online facility that safeguards institutional data. Moreover, when they integrate the system with advanced tools like ERP campus, it guarantees extra security.
No one can access exam question papers apart from the verified team members of the institute; similarly, student details.
In Conclusion,
Online exam proctoring technologies contribute to an improved educational system because it helps to establish an authentic assessment procedure. Furthermore, the tool has built-in features that act as a remote invigilator and monitor student activity throughout the examination.