Online Assessment

Indiana U Chooses Examity for Online Proctoring

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 12/14/17

Following a nearly three-year pilot, Indiana University has chosen to adopt the proctoring platform Examity over other choices for its "flexibility, security and support." The university will make the remote testing platform available free for students enrolled in online and some hybrid courses; those in traditional face-to-face classes may choose to pay to take their exams remotely.

Examity uses live proctors located in a supervised proctoring center. In the full-blown service, the proctors assist students with getting their computers set up for the testing session and then monitor both the student (via webcam) and the student's computer while he or she is taking the test. Faculty members receive a report indicating which students had questionable or illegal behavior during the test. Instructors can then review the videos to decide what action — if any — they need to take. However, Examity offers several levels of proctoring: automated authentication and live authentication, including via mobile device; auto-proctoring; record-and-review proctoring; and live proctoring. Data, including the exam contents, security questions, government IDs and video feeds, are encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. Videos are retained for a given period then deleted.

Earlier this year, the company also released examiDATA, an analytics platform that allows its institutional customers to monitor the rate of test-taking violations and benchmark against peer institutions.

Examity is now integrated into Instructure Canvas, Indiana U's learning management system. Course assessments are created with Canvas tools or a third-party program, and then Examity is used to schedule assessments that require proctoring.

"After five semesters of rigorous pilot projects, we found that Examity's combination of flexibility, security and support was the best solution for our online learners," said Chris Foley, assistant vice president and director of the Office of Online Education at the university, in a press release. "Online learning has the potential to dramatically increase access to IU's world-class educational offerings, but it also necessitates a relentless focus on ensuring the quality and integrity of assessments and programs. Examity emerged as the clear choice to provide reliable, sophisticated solutions that fit the unique profile of the IU community."

According to Examity, at least 30 percent of Indiana U students take at least one online course; more than 5,000 are enrolled in fully online programs.