Exam Proctoring
CU Online – Exam Proctoring for Online Courses Q&A What is proctoring? Test proctoring is testing overseen by an authorized, neutral, proctor, who ensures the identity of the test taker and the integrity of the test taking environment. In short, a proctor is a proxy for the instructor, who oversees a test. Why proctor online exams? In some cases, instructors worry that online students will cheat on exams by having others help them or use materials or tools that are not allowed during the test taking period. Proctoring helps prevent these sorts of circumventions of the normal test taking process. What should I consider when thinking about having my exams proctored? Proctoring can cut down on the most obvious kinds of test cheating, such as using external material or tools during the test. However, proctoring of online exams involves more work for both the instructor and the student. The student must arrange for a suitable proctor, and in some cases pay for the proctoring. The instructor must certify that the proctor is appropriate and communicate with each individual proctor to receive proctoring forms and provide the proctor with test passwords. Further, in cases where a large number of students will take a proctored exam, consider providing on campus exam periods that you or someone in your department conducts, or negotiate with local proctoring resources to handle the surge in proctoring requests. Also, it is important that online students always have the option of taking a proctored exam off campus. Many online students are remote from the campus, city and even state or country! Do I have alternatives to proctoring? There are numerous strategies for minimizing cheating in an online course without resorting to test proctoring. Refer to the Academic Honest Toolkit for a survey of ideas about designing assessment activities to minimize cheating in online courses. What should I keep in mind when I decide to proctor my tests? There are two important things you must do if you intend to have your tests proctored: 1) Clearly note that exams will be proctored in the syllabus. Include information on proctoring resources and explain clearly the process for a student to follow to obtain a authorized proctor. 2) Allow a reasonable amount of time for students to arrange for proctoring, including locating a proctor, having the instructor authorize the proctor, time for the proctor to complete the Proctor Agreement forms and allowing the instructor time to review the forms and communicate the test password to the proctor. CU Online Help Desk | 303‐315‐3700 | 1‐877‐UCDEN‐44 | [email protected] | http://www.cuonline.edu Ver. 1 How does proctoring work? A typical proctoring arrangement follows these steps: 1) The student arranges for a suitable proctor as defined by the instructor, and then has the proctor fill out and submit a Proctor Agreement form directly to the instructor. 2) The instructor sets up the proctored exam in eCollege or Blackbaord and assigns the exam a password. 3) Prior to the test taking period, the instructor provides to the proctor the exam password and the Proctor Verification Form. 4) The student arrives at the procotor’s location, accesses the exam and has the proctor type in the password. 5) After the exam is completed, the proctor provides the Proctor Verification Form to the instructor. 6) The instructor verifies that a completed Proctor Verification Form has been completed, and grades the exam. What authorizes someone to act as a test proctor? The final decision on who qualifies as an authorized proctor is up to the individual faculty member. Typical proctors include educators (high school and community college teachers), librarians and other people of trust (clergy, notaries, etc). What resources do I have for locating proctors? There are a variety of organizations that will provide a proctoring service for free or for a fee. For example, many, but not all, libraries will proctor an exam for patrons with advance notice The following list provides some Denver‐
area and national options for proctoring. Make sure students aware that they are responsible for locating an acceptable proctor, and that it may take a week or more to arrange a proctored exam. • Auraria Campus: Free. Metro Testing and Assessment Center: http://www.mscd.edu/~testing/. • Arapahoe Library District Offered at various branches. Free. Subject to staff availability. Call 303‐LIBRARY to schedule. • Blair‐Caldwell African American Research Library, Denver Public Library 2401 Welton Street, Denver, CO 80205. Free. Subject to staff availability. Call 720‐865‐2401 to schedule. Other DPL do not provide a proctoring service. • Louisville Public Library. Free. The Library may proctor exams for residents of Louisville who are registered library card holders in good standing, subject to availability of authorized staff. A minimum of one week advance notice is required before any test will be proctored. In addition, all test‐taking requirements must be received from the issuing educational institution before any tests are taken. If you would like to arrange for the Library to proctor an exam, please call 303‐335‐4815. The Library does not charge fees for this service but greatly appreciates donations<http://www.ci.louisville.co.us/library/PDF/Donation_Form.pdf> in support of the Library's collections and services. • Sylvan Learning Centers: Offered at various locations. Fee of $50 for each exam. A series of exams may also be proctored for one $50 fee. Call 303‐300‐2522 for more information or to schedule. CU Online Help Desk | 303‐315‐3700 | 1‐877‐UCDEN‐44 | [email protected] | http://www.cuonline.edu Ver. 1