I’ve gotten a request for some of my classes to be proctored or to otherwise confirm that the student enrolled in the class actually sat for the class.
I know that there are online proctoring services. Another option would be offering the class via Event Espresso and watching the student take it via Skype. Or you could work with someone to host the class locally. But all these seem clumsy.
Are there any other ways people are getting this done?
I require proctored finals. Students reserve an appointment time on my Google calendar. I put together a step-by-step guide and send it to students well before their scheduled exam time. Students log on to Blackboard Collaborate with their microphone and video camera on. I am able to watch their screen as the exam is completed. For students that I have not seen before I ask to see their drivers license and snap a screenshot of it with the webcam.
This may be on the clumsy side but I find it to be fairly seamless. The biggest issue is technology set up.
For anyone else facing this same issue, it looks like some proctoring companies, like ProctorU and ProctorFree, can have a student log into their website and have someone confirm their ID and then keep eyes on them for the entire class, for what seems to be a reasonable fee. Proctors are available 24/7.
At our institution, one of the services we offer for faculty running online courses is proctored exams. We have an on-site testing center that is manned with two proctors, has video cameras over every station and requires students to check in at a front desk (with ID) and check out after they're done.
For true distant students, they can take exams at an approved testing center in their area. If one isn't available, we have them use ProctorU, whereby they're a proctor monitors them from a remote location while they take the exam from home on their own computer. We've used ProctorU for about 3 years, and it's worked fine.
Some faculty whom I've worked with don't have proctored exams but want to reduce the possibility of cheating. For them, I recommend utilizing the LMS's settings to establish and open and close date for the exam, set a time limit, etc., which won't completely prevent cheating but can make it harder.
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I require proctored finals. Students reserve an appointment time on my Google calendar. I put together a step-by-step guide and send it to students well before their scheduled exam time. Students log on to Blackboard Collaborate with their microphone and video camera on. I am able to watch their screen as the exam is completed. For students that I have not seen before I ask to see their drivers license and snap a screenshot of it with the webcam.
This may be on the clumsy side but I find it to be fairly seamless. The biggest issue is technology set up.
Is your course synchronous?
Hi Lynee,
Thank you, it's good to see how other people are making this happen.
My classes are asynchronous, so being present (or otherwise verifying identity) is a change of model for me.
Good thought on using Google calendar. That could be an easier system than something like Event Espresso.
For anyone else facing this same issue, it looks like some proctoring companies, like ProctorU and ProctorFree, can have a student log into their website and have someone confirm their ID and then keep eyes on them for the entire class, for what seems to be a reasonable fee. Proctors are available 24/7.
At our institution, one of the services we offer for faculty running online courses is proctored exams. We have an on-site testing center that is manned with two proctors, has video cameras over every station and requires students to check in at a front desk (with ID) and check out after they're done.
For true distant students, they can take exams at an approved testing center in their area. If one isn't available, we have them use ProctorU, whereby they're a proctor monitors them from a remote location while they take the exam from home on their own computer. We've used ProctorU for about 3 years, and it's worked fine.
Some faculty whom I've worked with don't have proctored exams but want to reduce the possibility of cheating. For them, I recommend utilizing the LMS's settings to establish and open and close date for the exam, set a time limit, etc., which won't completely prevent cheating but can make it harder.
Tim, thank you, it's good to hear that others are having success with the proctoring services out there.
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