Online Proctoring Using Webcams

[SteamedHams]

My department is considering requiring that we proctor exams online using webcams.  I think that is over the top given the situation that many of our students are in now.  I am fine giving timed exams.  I don't have a webcam on my home computer and am sure that many of my students don't as well. They will have the option of taking it in a computer lab where the computers have webcams, but that seems to defeat the purpose of moving our classes to online.   I just wanted to see what everyone thinks about this. 

[Hegemony]

Definitely a massive amount of hassle, and some students won't have the right equipment, as you say. Others will but will have trouble making it work. I would redesign your exams to be open-book, at least for the duration.

[SteamedHams]

Thanks.  That is what I would do if it were totally up to me.  I think I may be forced to give proctored exams using webcams.  Most of my classes are face to face, but my online students take their exams in the testing center.  I could see having my online students do proctoring through webcams in the future, but it would be in the course notes, so they would know coming into the class that it is a requirement.  I am worried that there will be a large amount of students that will either not have one, say that they don't have one, or have technology problems when trying to take the exam. 

[Hegemony]

Can you make your exams open-book anyway, so if the proctoring doesn't work, the student's exam is not invalid?

[doc700]

I agree its too much, but couldn't they use the video on their smartphone for this instead of a webcam?  Are they completing the exam on paper that they upload or is the webcam part of some computer program they also type answer into?

[clean]

My students are not anywhere near the peak of the economic ladder.  We are now using WebEx for lectures/office hours. You can give the exam while they are in webex. 
I d be surprised if a large number of students do not have a wecam. It is standard equipment on a laptop.  Old desktops may not have one, but the device is very inexpensive!  Certainly the  camera would be much less than what a proctoring service would charge, and even then, they would need a camera! 

For what it is worth, If you are looking for some security, using Respondis Lock Down Browser (to keep them from internet surfing or using saved files) and the WebEx to see that they are not using a phone or flipping through the text is really NOT too much. 

[Hegemony]

Colleagues are reporting that numbers of our students do not have laptops, or do not have computers apart from their phone. Sometimes there's one computer in the family and one of their parents is using it for work. Sometimes it's a desktop someone has brought home from work. Sometimes they're in a car parked outside the public library or McDonald's, the two places that generally have wifi. I think it's unrealistic to assume they all have the fancy equipment, and not just unrealistic, but a hardship to the students who have the most trouble getting access to higher education generally.

[clean]

At our last meeting, we were told that IF students do not have sufficient equipment that we should have them contact the financial aid office.  They can update their 'financial need' and at a minimum obtain additional loans if not free aid.  I am sure that this is not a local issue (that all financial aid offices will be open at least for phone meetings).

[cathwen]

I teach an online course and I do not use webcam-based software, such as Respondus, for tests and quizzes.  I did use Respondus a few years ago for two semesters, but dropped it because every single time, at least one student would have trouble with it.  And then there was the issue of seeing things that were too personal—like the time a student's girlfriend came in, put her arms around the student, and said, "C'mon baby, [etc.]..." —although the student managed to disentangle himself and continue with the quiz. 

I write my tests and quizzes so that they are open book/open note, but timed so that no one has enough time to search for the answer to every question.  Some questions are short answer/short essay, and with those it's pretty easy to tell if copying is going on.  Except for the Great Baseball Team Cooperative Midterm incident in 2011–which was easy to spot—I just haven't seen much evidence of cheating.

[Caracal]

I teach an online course and I do not use webcam-based software, such as Respondus, for tests and quizzes.  I did use Respondus a few years ago for two semesters, but dropped it because every single time, at least one student would have trouble with it.  And then there was the issue of seeing things that were too personal—like the time a student's girlfriend came in, put her arms around the student, and said, "C'mon baby, [etc.]..." —although the student managed to disentangle himself and continue with the quiz. 

I write my tests and quizzes so that they are open book/open note, but timed so that no one has enough time to search for the answer to every question.  Some questions are short answer/short essay, and with those it's pretty easy to tell if copying is going on.  Except for the Great Baseball Team Cooperative Midterm incident in 2011–which was easy to spot—I just haven't seen much evidence of cheating.

I always wonder how effective these things are. Seems like the problem is that you can see the student and what's behind them, but not what is in front of the camera. Couldn't someone just put their laptop up and have another computer right behind it. It would be obvious if they were actively using the computer, but what if they just had various information on the screen. That's the sort of low tech version, but I bet you could manage more high tech versions as well. Most students wouldn't report to this kind of thing, but this is always the problem with trying to prevent cheating. You quickly get in an arms race and it probably isn't one we can win. Better to find exams less vulnerable to cheating.

[bopper]

Another option is to have an external webcam that is pointed at the student and the screen so you can monitor what they are doing on the computer as well as if they are using a phone to see if they are accessing info another way.