Lesson 01: Main Components of An Effective Proctoring System

• What are the main components of an effective proctoring system? 
• What are the different ways we can proctor an exam remotely?
• What are the categories of control for online proctoring?  

These are the questions that we'll address in this learning activity. Think about your own understanding of these concepts and how the video relates to your own understanding of an effective proctoring system.

Online proctoring (OP), sometimes called remote proctoring, generally refers to proctors monitoring an exam over the Internet through a webcam. Online proctoring involves the use of virtual tools for monitoring learner activities during assessment activity. These tools (as they continue to overcome their limitations) have the potential for learners to take an online exam at a remote location while ensuring the integrity (security and trustworthiness) and reliability of the online exam.

Main components of an effective proctoring system

Online proctoring system focuses on three major components.

The first one is authentication. Authentication refers to the process of making sure that the person beginning the exam—and remaining at the exam workstation until it is finished (excluding planned breaks)—is the person who is supposed to be there. Authentication in traditional testing models is the responsibility of the proctor or test administrator, often the same person. However, with technology-based testing, that responsibility can switch to automated processes. Authentication may be handled well automatically by the testing system without the involvement of the human proctor. Most of these online proctoring organizations record the testing session through the webcam and store the information for later review. It is possible to use a review of the stored video to supplement the authentication process or at least evaluate whether the examinee remained throughout the exam. The traditional methods for one-time authentication at the beginning of the exam are used in face-to-face exams, but one-time authentication is not adequate for a secure OP. In OP, a test-taker may need to be re-authenticated continuously or periodically throughout the examination to detect a proxy impersonation.

The second component is the use of a web camera for recording the video of the learner appearing for the exam which can be later on viewed by the examiner/proctor. All online proctoring systems rely on a webcam with an integrated microphone. The webcam with microphone is primarily used to monitor, to chat with and to record the behavior of the examinee during the exam, but may also be used in the authentication process. For the authentication process, it may be used to facilitate facial recognition software, to capture/compare a photograph of the examinee, to capture a spoken phrase for voice recognition, or to take a picture of a government-issued ID.

The third component is locking which prevents learners from opening other tabs in the web browsers. It is also known as Computer or Browser Lockdown. Lockdown may refer simply to locking down a browser, not allowing the test taker to access other URL’s. Or it may mean taking control over the examinee’s computer, controlling the operating system, detecting the use of peripheral devices or the various computer ports. It may also entail the use of more proactive security efforts such as detecting inappropriate keystrokes or function invocations.