Difference between revisions of "Exam Proctoring Technologies"
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| − | While exam proctoring technologies have been around since 2008, they have reached peak popularity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The systems provided a solution many schools, including high schools and universities, needed to deter cheating in their online testing environments. These technologies typically demand access to a student’s desktop, camera, and microphone. Some of the technologies also track a student’s eye movements during the exam, making sure they are only looking at the screen.<ref>https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13182#:~:text=Online%20proctoring%20software%2C%20which%20first,et%20al.%2C%202021 </ref> Several ethical concerns have been raised in regards to this technology such as privacy and accessibility. | + | While exam proctoring technologies have been around since 2008, they have reached peak popularity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The systems provided a solution many schools, including high schools and universities, needed to deter cheating in their online testing environments. These technologies typically demand access to a student’s desktop, camera, and microphone. Some of the technologies also track a student’s eye movements during the exam, making sure they are only looking at the screen.<ref name="bera"> https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13182#:~:text=Online%20proctoring%20software%2C%20which%20first,et%20al.%2C%202021 </ref> Several ethical concerns have been raised in regards to this technology such as privacy and accessibility. |
== Data Collection == | == Data Collection == | ||
| − | There are several different types of proctoring technologies and companies that collect a wide variety of different data. The most common data collected is a user’s webcam, keyboard strokes, microphone, and browser information. <ref>https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/08/federal-judge-invasive-online-proctoring-room-scans-are-also-unconstitutional </ref> Often, this data is stored in a database for a given amount of time until it is deleted. Most exam proctoring companies such as ProctorU state that they will not store data for longer than a year before it is deleted <ref>https://support.proctoru.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405016171405-Data-Retention-FAQ#:~:text=ProctorU%20only%20uses%20the%20data,the%20proctoring%20of%20online%20exams.</ref>. These basic features are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the technology used to track students. Students can also be asked to give a 360 degree view of their working environment prior to the start of the exam. These checks are known as “room scans.” <ref | + | There are several different types of proctoring technologies and companies that collect a wide variety of different data. The most common data collected is a user’s webcam, keyboard strokes, microphone, and browser information. <ref>https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/08/federal-judge-invasive-online-proctoring-room-scans-are-also-unconstitutional </ref> Often, this data is stored in a database for a given amount of time until it is deleted. Most exam proctoring companies such as ProctorU state that they will not store data for longer than a year before it is deleted <ref>https://support.proctoru.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405016171405-Data-Retention-FAQ#:~:text=ProctorU%20only%20uses%20the%20data,the%20proctoring%20of%20online%20exams.</ref>. These basic features are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the technology used to track students. Students can also be asked to give a 360 degree view of their working environment prior to the start of the exam. These checks are known as “room scans.” <ref name="bera"/> |
=== Artificial Intelligence === | === Artificial Intelligence === | ||
Revision as of 19:16, 27 January 2023
While exam proctoring technologies have been around since 2008, they have reached peak popularity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The systems provided a solution many schools, including high schools and universities, needed to deter cheating in their online testing environments. These technologies typically demand access to a student’s desktop, camera, and microphone. Some of the technologies also track a student’s eye movements during the exam, making sure they are only looking at the screen.[1] Several ethical concerns have been raised in regards to this technology such as privacy and accessibility.
Data Collection
There are several different types of proctoring technologies and companies that collect a wide variety of different data. The most common data collected is a user’s webcam, keyboard strokes, microphone, and browser information. [2] Often, this data is stored in a database for a given amount of time until it is deleted. Most exam proctoring companies such as ProctorU state that they will not store data for longer than a year before it is deleted [3]. These basic features are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the technology used to track students. Students can also be asked to give a 360 degree view of their working environment prior to the start of the exam. These checks are known as “room scans.” [1]
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence algorithms are also being used to further collect data on students. These algorithms can be used to verify the identity of students taking an exam. Facial detection scans are one of the applications of these algorithms where students are required to participate in the scan before an exam [5]. Other verification techniques include presenting an identification card or government document through the camera [1]. The most extensive use of artificial intelligence is done during the exam by tracking eye and head movements to determine whether students are cheating off screen. With machine learning, developers can train a model with thousands of examples of people who are taking the exam fairly and cheaters. This model can then be used in practice to detect suspicious head and eye movements typically seen in cheaters. When suspicious activity is detected, a human reviews the footage and makes a final determination on whether the student was cheating or not. [3].
Ethical Concerns
Privacy
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13182#:~:text=Online%20proctoring%20software%2C%20which%20first,et%20al.%2C%202021
- ↑ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/08/federal-judge-invasive-online-proctoring-room-scans-are-also-unconstitutional
- ↑ https://support.proctoru.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405016171405-Data-Retention-FAQ#:~:text=ProctorU%20only%20uses%20the%20data,the%20proctoring%20of%20online%20exams.
