Distance Learning
Texas A&M Adds Partner for Online Proctoring
Texas A&M University
system has signed with a third party to provide online
proctoring services for the 143,000
students taking exams at its 11 campuses and associated online courses.
Examity technology is designed to secure
exams, verify the identity of test takers and prevent cheating by
the text
takers. It can integrate
with an institution's learning management
and test delivery systems, including Moodle and Blackboard, so students
can
take tests through the online portals they normally use for school.
Professors
and departments have the flexibility to select the level of
security that matches the test being given, regardless of whether it is
a live
or automated situation. They can choose to provide online tests that
are fully
automated, ones that have human proctors watching and listening to
students via
webcam as they take test, or ones that are recorded and spot-checked.
There
is, however, an authentication process that accompanies
every Examity test. With online test-taking, one of the biggest
concerns is
that the person taking a test is the person who is supposed to be doing
so.
Test-takers are IDed, must answer a challenge question and need to
provide a
biometric signature.
At one
of the highest security levels, as an example, the proctoring process
uses a
student's own webcam and microphone to observe the student as he or she
takes a
test. When something unusual occurs, comments are noted and flags
issued to
inform instructors, who can review the video after the test has been
given.
Yellow flags are issued when the proctor observes a minor violation;
red flags
are issued when the student shows "clear cheating behavior."
Examity
representatives said it will proctor 50,000 college-level tests per month* this year.
Other
clients for its online proctoring products include the University
of
Cincinnati, University
of
Arizona and Temple
University's
School of Business.
* Editor's note: This information has been updated from a previous version of this story, which under-reported the number of tests Examity will proctor this year. We apologize for the error.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.
