Education

Pros and Cons of Online Proctoring for Exam Integrity

For a long time, online proctoring has proven its worth. Because it was backed by online proctoring, online education gained industry acceptance. Proctoring solutions are becoming increasingly important to colleges and universities in order to maintain the integrity of their remotely administered exams. Proctoring, like any other innovation, is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated in its approach. Let us examine the positive and negative aspects of online remote proctoring services.

What exactly is online proctoring?

To protect and improve the quality and credibility of online education, traditional exam invigilation is being replaced by online remote proctoring technologies. Online education has many advantages, but it requires physical control; thus, online remote proctoring bridges this gap and provides the necessary control over the exam integrity for online examinations. Corporations and businesses can have more confidence in the skills and knowledge of students passing online exams if they have the support of advanced technology such as live online exam softwares.

Online Proctoring Varieties

There are various types of online proctoring. However, it can be divided into three major categories based on its practical application and the needs of the respective institutions.

Proctoring in Real Time

As the name implies, live proctored exams take place with the assistance of a human invigilator who remotely monitors the students via the live online proctoring platform. A dashboard is also available for human invigilators to receive pre-flagged alerts from advanced remote proctoring companies. As a result, if academic misconduct occurs, the human proctor can intervene quickly. The microphone and webcam are used in live proctoring to record the test-takers’ movements.

Proctoring that is recorded

Recorded proctoring is useful for exams with a larger scale and low stakes. During the exam, the AI-enabled software monitors the test takers’ keystroke movements and activates browser lock mode on their computers. At the conclusion of the test, a consolidated yet comprehensive report is made available for review to the institution. The institutes can determine whether or not cheating occurred based on the recorded session and reports.

High-Tech Automated Proctoring

Advanced automated proctoring allows institutes to administer high-stakes exams without having to manually check each candidate during the test. The invigilation is handled by artificial intelligence, which promptly sends required alerts to the human proctor for review. This variant has more functions and detection capabilities. Traditional and advanced cheating attempts can be detected and deterred in real time to protect exam integrity.

Pros of Online Proctoring

• Ensure Exam Integrity by Using Online Proctoring

For institutes that offer online education programmes, online proctored exams are essential. Furthermore, institutes that use computer-based exams must have advanced technology on their side in order to maintain the credibility of their courses. Educational institutions that use online remote proctoring systems for invigilation are more likely to be hired by corporations. Companies can also be assured that the resources they hire are knowledgeable and skilled enough to perform their professional duties.

• Increased Access to Online Learning

Online learning is a boon for both teachers and students. Learning can take place regardless of geographical boundaries or adverse circumstances. However, live remote proctoring for online exams gives online learning legitimacy. Many eager students are looking for good education all over the world, but due to geographical constraints, they need assistance in finding capable teachers. This is made possible by online education, which provides students with an equal opportunity to perform well in their exams. 

• Scale economies

Exams in which a greater number of students appear to require more sustainable infrastructure. Encouraging students to take exams remotely can reduce the strain on the institute’s physical infrastructure. Institutes can conduct exams while saving money by combining various features. Maintaining exam hall equipment and deploying resources to invigilate can be a monumental task. A basic technical scale-up, on the other hand, can assist educators in navigating the critical task of exams with a larger number of students.

• Convenient Physical Exam Alternative

Convenience and flexibility are two important considerations when considering live online examination software. Students can relax and take their exams from the comfort of their own homes. To save time and money on transportation to and from the exam hall or testing center. Students feel less anxious and can focus better on the questions if they stay in their preferred location.

• Improved Classroom Invigilation

Most people believe that online test proctoring services are only used for remotely administered exams. Online proctoring, on the other hand, can greatly simplify and advance in-class computer exams. Even though invigilators are present in the classrooms during computer-based tests, they are not always successful in detecting cheating attempts. Remote proctoring software installed on the student’s computer can act as an extension of the invigilators’ eyes and ears, making the entire process watertight. Invigilators can also use the dashboard provided by online proctoring software, to receive real-time alerts and intervene quickly.

The Drawbacks of Using Online Proctoring

• Accessibility in Areas with Poor Internet Connections

One significant disadvantage of online test proctoring services is that they must reach students in areas with limited internet access. Today, reliance on the internet is critical and unavoidable. As a result, this is a first-world facility that students from underserved areas require. 

• Concerns About Ethical Surveillance

Unfortunate incidents have occurred when proctoring companies, while monitoring students, accessed and used student data and misused it. As a result, institutes must use proctoring software from companies, which meets most authorities’ federal and regulatory requirements. As a result, consideration for student information and privacy is critical for the provider of proctoring solutions, as it helps students trust them.

Aspects of Online Proctoring That Are Good, Bad, and Great

Mercer | Mettl, an intelligent online remote proctoring software, is carving out a niche. The benefits are universally acknowledged by institutions and students. Educators or administrators can select features based on the scale and stakes of the exams. When viewed objectively, online proctoring is critical for the long-term viability of online education. Regardless of whether students find it intrusive, it is critical to detect and deter cheating in online exams.

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