The shift towards online learning has necessitated innovative solutions to maintain academic integrity. In this context, online proctoring helps educators monitor learners even when they are far away. Online proctoring has emerged as an important tool to ensure fair and secure assessments. Still, it comes with its own set of challenges. Let's explore these challenges and discuss potential solutions.
What is Online Proctoring?
Online proctoring refers to the use of technology to monitor and supervise exams conducted remotely.
Instead of being physically present in a traditional examination room, students can take their exams from any location, while proctors ensure the integrity and fairness of the examination process via the Internet.
Online proctoring can involve various methods, including live proctoring, recorded proctoring, and automated proctoring using artificial intelligence (AI).
How Does Online Proctoring Work?
Online proctoring works by using a combination of software and hardware tools to monitor exam-takers.
Here’s a basic outline of the process:
1. Environment Check: The proctoring system may ask students to scan their surroundings using their webcam to ensure no unauthorized materials or other people are present.
2. Monitoring: Throughout the exam, the proctoring software monitors the student's behavior using their webcam, microphone, and screen activity. Live proctoring involves a human proctor watching the students in real time, while recorded proctoring involves recording the session for later review.
3. Flagging and Reporting: The system flags Any suspicious activity for review. This can include unusual movements, multiple faces in the camera view, or attempts to access unauthorized websites or materials.
Why is Online Proctoring Needed?
With the fast shift towards online learning and remote education, there has been an immense need to ensure that assessments conducted online are secure and fair. Traditional in-person exams are not feasible in many cases, and
online proctoring offers a solution to uphold academic integrity providing flexibility to students.
Challenges in Online Proctoring
While online proctoring offers numerous benefits, it also comes with a set of challenges:
1. Privacy Concerns: Students often express concerns about their privacy, as online proctoring involves continuous monitoring through webcams and microphones.
2. Technical Issues: Both students and institutions may face technical difficulties, such as poor internet connectivity, hardware malfunctions, and software compatibility issues. These can disrupt the exam process and cause undue stress.
3. Cost: Implementing online proctoring systems can be expensive for educational institutions. Costs can include licensing fees, equipment, and the need for technical support.
4. Accessibility: Not all students have access to the required technology, such as a reliable computer or high-speed internet, which can create inequalities.
5. False Positives: Automated proctoring systems, can sometimes flag innocent behaviors as suspicious, leading to false accusations of cheating.
Solutions to Online Proctoring Challenges
How BrainCert Helps with Online Proctoring
Proctoring is an essential feature for ensuring the integrity of online assessments. BrainCert's Virtual Classroom (VC) easily integrates with the assessment module to provide a safe proctoring solution, allowing proctors to monitor learners through screen sharing and record the session for future reference.
Here’s how BrainCert effectively facilitates online proctoring.
The Setup
BrainCert offers a straightforward way to schedule and manage classes. Educators can create a class using Virtual Classroom. During this setup, options like 'Record Live Class' and 'Enable Screen Sharing' are selected to ensure that every session is recorded and that screen-sharing capabilities are in place. This feature is essential for monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the assessment process.
At the scheduled time, the class is launched and BrainCert provides multiple ways to invite learners, including email invitations, manual enrollment of individual students, and predefined user groups. This flexibility ensures that all learners are accommodated and ready for the proctored session.
Conducting the Assessment
Once the class is in session, BrainCert enables screen sharing by allowing proctors to authorize this feature for each learner. Proctors can monitor learners' screens, ensuring that no unauthorized activities occur during the assessment. This live monitoring is a crucial component of maintaining academic integrity in online exams.
BrainCert also integrates an efficient method for creating and sharing assessment links. From the assessment section, educators can generate a shareable link for the test. This link is unique to each assessment and is created by selecting the desired test and generating the link with the necessary details. This shareable link is then copied and pasted into the virtual classroom chat, enabling learners to access the assessment directly from their proctored session.
The screen-sharing feature ensures that proctors can observe the learners' entire screens, not just the test window. This comprehensive view allows proctors to detect any attempts to cheat or access unauthorized resources. The entire session is recorded, providing an additional layer of security and the ability to review the assessment process post-exam.
Post-Assessment Review
One of the standout features of BrainCert’s proctoring solution is the ability to review recorded sessions. After the exam, proctors can access the recordings from the virtual classroom or the recordings section. This allows for a thorough review of the test-taking process to ensure no violations occurred. Reviewing the recorded proctoring session is crucial for verifying the integrity of the assessment and addressing any flagged issues.
In Conclusion
BrainCert's Virtual Classroom provides a comprehensive solution for online proctoring, ensuring both security and integrity in the examination process. The platform's capabilities, from real-time monitoring to detailed post-exam reviews, make it a reliable choice for maintaining high standards of academic integrity in remote assessments. BrainCert’s user-friendly proctoring method empowers educators and institutions to uphold the integrity of their assessments in an increasingly digital educational landscape.
