Online exam proctoring helps improve online teaching and learning for five groups in higher ed:
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How proctoring online exams benefits students
Easy to use
Online proctoring software that directly integrates with the LMS creates a similar test environment because students take the proctored exam within the LMS just like they already do. The integration also means that students won’t need any extra logins or passwords.
“Students like that Honorlock launches directly out of Canvas, and that there is nothing that they have to do differently from what they are used to. It’s seamless and quick, and the equipment checks are faster than our previous solution, which improves the entire experience.”– Paula Rodriguez, former director of the University Testing Center at Colorado State University
Students can take online proctored exams 24/7 and get live support
Because it’s available 24/7/365, online proctoring also allows students to experience the flexibility of taking a test at a time best for them, often without needing to set an appointment at a testing center.
“Having access to customer support 24/7/365 is huge. Especially during times like this when students may be taking exams at any time of day. You want them to have access to someone who can troubleshoot with them.” – Daphnee St. Val, Senior Instructional Designer at Broward College
Helps reduce student test anxiety
Honorlock conducted a student survey with a university and found that the right online proctoring platform can help reduce student test anxiety, which is present in 64% of students.
Several safeguards Honorlock offers helped significantly, such as dispelling misconceptions about what could trigger a red flag and the ability to troubleshoot and alleviate technical concerns before starting the test.
Honorlock’s full-time remote proctoring team is trained to identify indicators of test anxiety, such as lip licking or touching the face, and they proactively interact with affected students using a reassuring set of talking points. 100% of students who interacted with a remote proctor said the interaction made them less anxious.
“I don’t get any complaints about it [from students]. They say it’s quick and easy, and once they start the exam, they don’t even notice that they’re being proctored, which helps to reduce test anxiety.” Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky, Former Director of Distance Education and Digital Education Collaborative at Longwood University
Helps solidify the validity of the program
Unfortunately, online learning can come with a downside if it isn’t valued as highly as in-person learning, and students don’t want the perceived value of their degree to fall if they elect to take a class remotely.
“Prioritizing adequate protections for remote testing through online proctoring confirms that an online degree holds the same weight as one where students took the classes in person,” said Jordan Adair, Vice President of Product for Honorlock.
How online proctoring benefits instructors
Class time can be spent teaching instead of testing
Any instructor will agree that there’s never enough time to cover all the material they’d like to present, which is why they value online testing’s ability to preserve educational hours.
“If instructors don’t have to deliver a test in class, that leaves time for another lecture or project they can explore together,” said Adair.
Quick and simple to use
Today’s educators are also often overrun with technological expectations, so it’s vital that the online proctoring platform is easy to use, quick to set up, and fully customizable.
As described earlier, Honorlock’s online exam proctoring software directly integrates with the existing LMS, which means it’s basically the same process for instructors to create exams. The only difference is that after they create the exam in the LMS like they already do, they’ll simply click to choose which proctoring features they want to use during the exam.
“I had 500 students in one class, but the first assessment with Honorlock went as smoothly as it possibly could have gone…Honorlock is an incredibly user-friendly platform – very intuitive,” Peter Burrell, Associate Professor at University of Cincinnati
Protects academic integrity
Instructors spend a lot of time creating exam content, and it’s extremely frustrating when that content is shared on the internet.
To help protect exam content, Honorlock’s Search & Destroy technology searches the web to identify exam questions that have been shared online, which allows instructors to take action by sending content takedown requests and updating exam questions.
Instructors also appreciate the features from proctoring solutions like Honorlock, such as:
- Cell phone detection
- Live proctors combined with AI
- Voice detection
- Browser locking
- Time-stamped recordings and reports
- ID verification
Provides insight into student behavior
Honorlock’s remote proctoring platform collects extensive data during the exam and provides actionable reports and time-stamped recordings within the LMS dashboard.
This means the instructor can save time by focusing on relevant student behavior and violations. The proctored exam reports appear in an easy-to-read format that includes relevant student activity such as violations and any suspicious behavior.
“It was also a means to detect and determine many different ways that students approach the exams. Because of access to the wealth of data and information provided through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it.”– Ryan P. Mears, Ph.D., Lecturer at University of Florida
How online exam proctoring benefits distance learning and elearning faculty
Quick and easy implementation
As schools are expanding their online learning offerings, many distance learning faculty are taking on more responsibilities. That’s why a simple implementation is so valuable. Implementing an online proctoring platform should take days, not weeks. “From setting up the LMS integration in as little as an hour to a fully managed implementation and training plan, schools are ready to go with Honorlock,” Adair said.
“The integration between Canvas and Honorlock was really seamless. Very easy to get it launched. It was great, we had no problems launching it and making it work,” Burrell explained.
Secures and protects student data
Distance learning teams are concerned with far more than logistical issues. One key consideration for eLearning faculty is the importance of protecting students’ data.
“Colleges value the fact that we are FERPA-compliant and use an encrypted and secure connection during each online proctored exam. Additionally, all student data is secured and stored on the cloud in an Amazon (AWS) data center which is SOC 3 certified, U.S. Privacy Shield and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant,” said Adair.
Ensuring inclusion and accessibility
In addition, distance learning directors and educators are responsible for creating a diverse and inclusive online learning environment that’s accessible and usable for all students, regardless of their disability or condition.
Honorlock allows your faculty to provide a variety of accommodations to meet student accessibility needs, such as providing breaks, extending time limits, and allowing multiple attempts. Honorlock’s online proctoring platform integrates with assistive devices, such as screen readers, and complies with accessibility standards such as ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Protecting program and institution reputation
Distance learning directors and educators also want to ensure that a degree conferred through distance learning holds equal significance in the marketplace. “Online proctoring helps build the trust that exams are being delivered with the same rigor as an in-person test,” Adair said.
Predicting and controlling costs
Finally, as eLearning departments face budgetary considerations, some remote proctoring companies, such as Honorlock, offer a flat-rate cost per online exam or per student, which helps them better estimate testing costs.
How online proctoring benefits testing center directors
Easy to implement
An online proctoring platform has to be user-friendly for both the faculty designing tests and the students taking them.
“The acceleration in technology adoption has created new burdens for IT departments because institutions, administrators, and instructors have had to adapt to a suite of new tools at such a fast pace,” said Adair. He notes that personnel typically spend several months for training and preparation, adding, “The importance of turnkey software has been brought front and center as they want to streamline offerings and avoid spending extra training dollars or time.”
Reduces testing review time
Testing center staff spend a lot of time administering exams in person and reviewing online proctoring sessions to shift some of the workload from instructors. Honorlock helps them quickly identify which batches of student exams they might want to review.
“Now [instructors] just go in and click on results. The recent user interface updates streamlined the process even more for faculty.” – Ken Craver, Director of Distance Education at Tyler Junior College
Additionally, if the proctoring platform is easy for students to use, faculty reap the benefits through fewer questions and less hassle with technical issues.
Verifies ID
For some programs, ID verification is required by law, but for any test, faculty need to be sure that the student taking the exam is the student getting credit. With Honorlock, remote proctors can bypass the ID check, which helps make the check-in process more convenient for students as well as testing center staff.
How proctored testing benefits university administration
Increases online learning offerings
As universities face new challenges, they are looking for ideas that have a purposeful impact across the institution. One of the most attractive revenue streams they can offer is online learning.
“While many institutions had been considering expanding their online programs, the pandemic gave everyone the boost they needed to take it to the next level. They are seeing the advantages of making online programs available to more students under a variety of different circumstances, which could lead to greater revenue. Online proctoring makes this growth more feasible,” Adair explained.
Predicts and controls testing costs
Hand-in-hand with growing revenue is controlling costs. Honorlock offers the ability to accurately predict remote testing costs, keeping budgets in check with a flat-rate cost per student or per exam.
Protects institutional reputation
Online exam proctoring reinforces the validity of their academic programs and the institution as a whole, which is vital for the accreditation process.
“It allows universities to demonstrate that students have met certain learning outcomes by showing that the exam was secure and that they verified the identity of the student doing the work,” Adair explains.
This confirmation is more important than ever, given the documented rise in cheating on online tests. The underlying goal? Protecting academic integrity and ensuring a fair and equitable educational experience for all students.
Is your institution ready for the benefits of online proctoring?
Whether you want to expand your online learning offerings or create a level playing field on campus, online proctoring can support your institutional goals.
It also reinforces one of the most crucial services you provide: boosting achievement in students.
“As instructors, we take seriously our role to educate students about academic integrity,” said the University of Cincinnati’s Burrell. “I remind them that when they join the work world, they have to know how to do the research and figure out answers on their own. College is designed to allow them to practice those skills, and we do them a disservice if we don’t encourage that and hold them to high standards throughout their academic journey.”
As universities continually burnish their legacies by proving the value of the education they provide, they are increasingly turning to online proctoring as a foundational solution.
What is Honorlock?
Honorlock approaches online exam proctoring in a better way.
Our purpose isn’t simply to catch students cheating – we aim to create an online testing environment that supports honesty and integrity in a non-invasive, fair, and equitable testing environment.
Honorlock’s combines the benefits of AI with those of live remote proctors to help reduce student test anxiety, provide support, and uphold academic integrity.