University of Florida Remote Proctoring Customer Testimonial

University of Florida Testimonial about Honorlock proctoring services

Honorlock Remote Proctoring Customer Testimonial

Ryan P. Mears, PhD

Lecturer, Department of Psychology
University of Florida

Understanding the Anomalous Curve in Online Learning

Ryan P. Mears, PhD, has been teaching at the University of Florida (UF) since the Fall of 2015. When he began to teach full time last semester as a Lecturer he was presented with a new opportunity: to teach his first online course —a general elective course, PSB 3002 – Physiological Psychology. Trained as a brain scientist and researcher, he was intrigued with this new learning modality and quickly came to understand the pros and cons of the online teaching environment.

The pros: for students the convenience of instant access to information and setting their schedule. For him having a script when recording the course kept him focused on the most important points of his lecture and improved his teaching.

The cons: because the course is online, there’s less feedback from students—like being on the wrong side of a two-way mirror.

Mears Lacked a Means to Understand How Students Approached Learning Online

Mears wanted feedback about how students were doing in his class. He was interested in how students approached learning online. Being a scientist, he began to statistically diagnose his students’ online exam scores.

“After the second quiz in the third week of class, I had a ceiling effect that looked like a ski jump, with 80% of my students getting 100% on tests. I knew there was something seriously wrong. I began looking closely at who had missed which questions over the two quizzes. That’s when I realized I needed a proctoring solution of some kind. When I initially attempted to address the issue, I really didn’t even know enough to ask the right questions to get help.”

“Honorlock was more than a tool to guard or block students from using inappropriate information. 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/information through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it.”

When he reached out to the Distance & Continuing Education folks at UF, they recommended Honorlock remote proctoring. “There wasn’t a technology fee for my students because I didn’t have a proctoring solution and a lot of students told me they didn’t like having to schedule their tests. With Honorlock, I didn’t have to pay the technology fee ahead of time and students didn’t have to schedule their exam.” Win-win.

Honorlock Remote Proctoring Provides the Tools and Analytics Needed to Uphold Academic Integrity

Using Honorlock remote proctoring, Mears was able to identify online exam test questions that needed more complexity to prevent the ability to look up the answer through text search.

Reformatting those questions and Honorlock’s proprietary remote proctoring features proved to have advantages: 

  • Changed the anomalous curve—no more ski jumps!
  • Helped identify students who were still sharing answers to questions and it provided the irrefutable proof necessary to report the students.
  • Detected and determined many different ways that students approach the online exams.
    • Because of access to the wealth of data/information through Honorlock’s remote proctoring software, he became better able to utilize it.
      • “I felt that I couldn’t trust my test scores at all before Honorlock. The analytics that come with the flags and real time recording helped me to understand how students were approaching the course and what strategies they were using to pass the test. Honorlock helped me make sense of what was going on in my online course and it gave me the confidence that academic integrity was upheld.”

In the future, Mears will use Honorlock remote proctoring for assessments in his live classes as well.

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About the University of Florida

The University of Florida was founded over 160 years ago in Gainesville, FL, and is a comprehensive, land-grant, research university. UF supports 16 academic colleges and more than 170 research centers and institutes. It offers nearly 300 graduate degree programs—including business administration, engineering, law, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine to their over 54,000 student population. UF is consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities: No. 7 in U.S. News & World Report’s “Top Public Schools” (2020)

Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

Longwood University Remote Proctoring Customer Testimonial

Honorlock Remote Proctoring Customer Testimonial

Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky

Director, Distance Education and Digital Education Collaborative
Longwood University

From Disenchanted to Delighted with Remote Proctoring

In the Fall of 2018, Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky attended the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate conference in Orlando with one purpose in mind—to find a new remote proctoring service.

“We had become disenchanted with our previous proctoring service,” said Mersiowsky. “They did not have the features or support we needed for our students and faculty.”

Longwood University is a public liberal arts university in Farmville, Virginia. With on-campus and hybrid classes, and a fully online MBA program, Longwood needed more than a browser lock from their remote proctoring system. They needed a remote proctoring service that would verify the student’s identity and be easy to deploy and use.

“I met Andres from Honorlock at OLC and I was blown away by his demo,” said Mersiowsky. “No other company there came close with the features, flexibility, and support we needed.” Within a few weeks of the conference, Mersiowsky had engaged a pilot of Honorlock remote proctoring for a four week intensive online course. According to Mersiowsky, “the faculty fell in love with Honorlock!”

“We feel it is improving academic integrity better than the previous solution due to a notable difference in test scores.”

“Honorlock is responsive to our needs and suggestions, which is a good indicator of the kind of company that listens. Honorlock’s support is fabulous! They are very customer service oriented, which is rare among instructional technology companies today.”

– Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky, Longwood University

Longwood University has been using Honorlock’s test monitoring software for proctoring ever since. “With Honorlock, all of the challenges with our previous proctoring solution are non-existent. My team doesn’t get complaints from faculty that students couldn’t test because the proctoring platform was broken. And we don’t get Support calls because Honorlock provides amazing support,” said Mersiowsky. “More importantly, we feel it is improving academic integrity better than the previous solution due to a notable difference in test scores.”

Positive feedback from faculty and students

When asked how faculty feel about remote proctoring with Honorlock:

“One of the unexpected features that has surprised and delighted our faculty is Search and Destroy. So fabulous!” Honorlock test monitoring software’s Search and Destroy™ feature removes unauthorized test content from the internet making it virtually impossible for students to access. It saves faculty precious time of rewriting tests each semester.

When asked how students feel about Honorlock online proctoring, she said:

“I don’t get any complaints about it. 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.” 

What’s Mersiowsky’s advice to others who may be disenchanted with their online proctoring service? “Just do it! Call Honorlock. They are responsive to our needs and suggestions, which is a good indicator of the kind of company that listens. Honorlock’s support is fabulous! They are very customer service oriented, which is rare among instructional technology companies today.”

Longwood University’s Results with Honorlock Remote Proctoring

  • Saves faculty time and hassle of rewriting online exams due to test content leaking onto the internet
  • Verifies students’ identity quickly
  • Easy to use and deploy; didn’t require IT support for deployment
  • Reduces student test anxiety
  • Honorlock Customer Support reduced the burden on in-house staff
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How Does Six Sigma Apply to Higher Education?

Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology that improves higher education institutions by streamlining enrollment processes and administrative processes and improving student satisfaction.

In part one of this three-part series, we’ll cover:

  • What is Six Sigma?
    • What are the principles of Six Sigma?
  • Why does higher education need Six Sigma?
  • How does Six Sigma apply to higher education?
    • Streamlines the enrollment process
    • Improves student satisfaction and learning outcomes
    • Develops efficient administrative processes

Read Part 2 & Part 3

What is Six Sigma?

Simply put, Six Sigma is a methodology that improves organizational processes by streamlining operations, improving quality, and reducing defects in order to increase profitability.

Six Sigma literally means, “six standards of deviation,” and in manufacturing the goal is to strive for the complete elimination of defects when compared with the mean. Six Sigma’s DMAIC mode of action (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) seeks to improve existing processes that may be falling below specification and looks for ways to make incremental improvements.

Six Sigma’s goal, therefore, is to improve quality by identifying defects, establishing their cause, and improving processes to increase the repeatability and accuracy of results. By promoting efficiency and reducing defects, companies can improve quality and save time. They can deliver better products, which can contribute to increased engagement and confidence among employees. When that happens, the company’s bottom line is strengthened so as to better help drive it toward the top. 

Originally formulated at Motorola and taken up with gusto by General Electric (GE), Six Sigma has been credited with saving companies billions of dollars by helping them reduce errors and increase efficiency.  

Once leaders in industries beyond manufacturing saw how well Six Sigma was doing with GE and others, they sought ways to apply its principles to their own industries, notably service and healthcare. Now, it is making improvements in an unexpected place – higher education.

Why Does Higher Education Need Six Sigma?

At first, education and Six Sigma may seem mismatched. Fear not, academic friends! We know that most instructors provide intangibles of far greater value than can be measured by course evaluations, student satisfaction surveys, or alumni salary reports.

Many areas of higher education, however, can respond well to the Six Sigma methodology. Quite a few of the activities that allow colleges and universities to educate their students are repeatable processes that can benefit from applying Six Sigma principles. After all, we are always seeking ways to improve the way we serve students.

We understand the pressures that come with personal and institutional change, many of which were amplified by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As higher education moves forward, it will want to use the best tools it can to create the best outcomes for students and society.

How Does Six Sigma Apply to Higher Education?

A wise former university administrator from an Ivy League school once told me, “Universities don’t exist to create jobs for administrators.” He explained that he always kept in mind that his job, and the job of anyone in admissions, registration, finance, catering, and custodial services, was ultimately to make it easier for students to connect with the right instructors and right research resources. A successful college or university is one where the students can focus on learning and the teachers, enriched by their own research, can focus on teaching.

As implied above, not every activity that goes on in a university is as well suited to the Six Sigma principles as others. Below are three areas of higher education that can benefit from carefully following Six Sigma’s methodology of defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling.

Streamlines the enrollment process

It’s important to keep in mind that the enrollment process is a key part of improving student satisfaction, the institution’s overall efficiency which impacts revenue and operational expenses. Institutions need a streamlined enrollment process that’s controlled and efficient.

The enrollment process is often hindered with inconsistencies and unnecessary inconveniences to students and teachers. Using Six Sigma, institutions can address such drawbacks by identifying what’s working and what can be improved to keep the academic engines of your school running at full capacity. By identifying issues, schools are able to improve and better control enrollment processes.

Improves student satisfaction and learning outcomes

The Six Sigma principles, well employed, can indirectly empower students to achieve their best. With the right advice from the right academic advisor at the right time, a whole new world can open up, and students may see a direction that they vaguely wanted to follow but did not realize was actually possible. Six Sigma can help schools create the process whereby these crucial connections happen for every student. For teaching, it can help schools choose the right faculty members, fairly distribute service work, and better organize tenure and promotion procedures. It can even help schools do better benchmarking to identify and implement the best practices of other institutions. 

Develops efficient administrative processes

While the university’s mission does not include creating jobs for administrators, it simply could not function without good ones. The processes these administrators count on must run efficiently with each other.

Six Sigma principles can reduce variations and improve efficiencies in key areas such as:

  •   Admissions and enrollment
  •   Implementing learning technology
  •   Student recruitment
  •   Certification
  •   Administering grants
  •   Building and equipment repair and maintenance
  •   Procurement processes

In part 2 of this series, we detail how institutions can apply Six Sigma to streamline technology implementation. From evaluation and decision-making to implementation, training, and integration with existing technology – Six Sigma can drive efficiency at all levels.

Read Part 2 of this series: Streamline technology implementation with Six Sigma

Read Part 3 of this series: What does online proctoring and Six Sigma have in common?

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Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

Streamline Technology Implementation With Six Sigma

Follow the Six Sigma DMAIC process, which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control, to improve the efficiency of technology implementation at your institution.

In part one, we introduced Six Sigma, which is a set of tools to eliminate defects in production and errors in administration. Six Sigma quickly expanded in many industries thanks to success with manufacturing and technology companies such as Motorola and General Electric. 

In part two of this three-part series, we’ll discuss:

  • Steps to implementing Six Sigma
  • What you need to implement Six Sigma 
  • How Six Sigma Streamlines the Process of Implementing Technology
We’ll use an especially relevant and timely example in higher education:

implementing technology for online proctoring across an institution.

This example is relevant because many universities and colleges were forced to move their educational programs to an entirely online learning format due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

With the sudden move to virtual learning, institutions realized that they needed a way to protect the academic integrity of their online exams and they needed it fast.

Luckily, with a streamlined six sigma implementation process, schools were able apply online proctoring technology in as little as two days. Here’s how the Six Sigma DMAIC process can help streamline any technology implementation at your institution.

Steps to Six Sigma Implementation

Applying Six Sigma starts with the addressing problems and helps your team identify the kind of project that will solve or mitigate that problem. Your team should follow the Six Sigma DMAIC process, which stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. 

Six Sigma DMAIC Chart

Let’s look at each phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC process in further detail:

Define
The first phase of DMAIC is to define the problems.
By specifically defining the problem, you improve your chances of successfully delivering on your mission to improve quality and save costs. At this stage, you may use process maps and set out what improvements you seek and/or what benefits you will accrue from the project. In the academic world, identifying the problem is crucial.

Example: As previously described, one problem that quickly cropped up for many schools in March 2020 was how to quickly transition to a fully online learning format and prevent academic dishonesty on their online exams. Institutions had concerns that cheating would increase in an online exam environment. They knew that in an unproctored testing environment, students could easily search for test questions and answers, refer to their notes, and share exam questions with other students.

Measure
Once you’ve defined the problems, you need to measure and collect relevant data about them.

Example: the institution defined the problems they face with the transition to a fully online learning environment and the vulnerability of their online exams without online proctoring.

Now, the institution can collect data on relevant questions such as:
  • How many total courses will be online?
  • How many of the courses require online proctored exams?
  • How many students will be taking proctored online exams?
  • What is the average length of time for an online exam?
  • How long does it take to review an exam and submit the results?
  • How can we integrate online proctoring with our existing LMS?
  • What are the pros and cons of our current online exam proctoring system?

Schools will be able to gather the appropriate data in short order, as most of these are common statistics known to the deans of each faculty and the registrar’s offices. 

If you already have online proctoring software in place but you’re evaluating a new online proctoring system, gather data on the benefits and the complaints you’ve received from faculty and students about the current system. Then, categorize the number and type of benefits and complaints in order to efficiently review and prioritize.

During the Measurement phase, Dr. Jill Simpson of the University of North Alabama College of Business, held focus groups with faculty and students about their experience with online proctoring systems to determine their needs.

Analyze
Once you’ve gathered your data, it’s time to analyze it to identify the primary causes of the problems.

Example: After Dr. Simpson conducted the focus groups, she analyzed the data and identified the root causes of the problems for both faculty and students.

Improve
In this phase, you’re testing solutions to fix and repair problems. The goal is to find permanent solutions to improve the problems you’ve identified.

Example: Faculty would test the online proctoring system to address any deficiencies and improvements and then provide feedback based on their experiences.

Control
Once you’ve made the improvements, you want to control the original problem to ensure that it does not come back. Do so by institutionalizing the improved procedures and technologies and continue to monitor and document the continued success.

Example: In this case, the university implements the online proctoring system and creates procedures, strategies, and documentation to ensure ongoing success and use. The institution should continually monitor the effectiveness of the online proctoring system by collecting relevant data such as student performance on the proctored online exams and overall feedback, and make adjustments to adapt to the changing needs.

What Do You Need to Implement Six Sigma?

Researchers have learned that making the best use of Six Sigma requires focusing on a small number of key performance drivers. To make it all work, you need the following components:
Senior leadership’s full buy-in
They should be trained on the philosophy and principles behind the tools that will assist in implementation. They will take steps to manage the positive change in the institution and encourage a culture of creativity and innovation. Quality improvement teams include both executives and supporting administrators.
Establish communication with stakeholders
The establishment of open and close communication with students, faculty, and other stakeholders. Develop rigorous and replicable methods of obtaining and evaluating everyone’s relevant input.
Create a formal training process
A formalized training process for all stakeholders who will be doing things the new way. One of the benefits of Honorlock is how easy it is for students to work with and what minimal demands it places on faculty members. Still, as with any new system, good training results in smooth implementation.
Develop a standardized Six Sigma framework
Development of a standardized Six Sigma framework for continuous improvement. Make sure you answer your progress questions, “How can we tell that we’re improving?”, “What are our Key Performance Indicators?”, “What does success look like?”

Streamline Online Proctoring Implementation

Research shows that institutions that successfully implement Six Sigma perform better in virtually every category. With thoughtful concern for the ways in which everyone can do their jobs better and more efficiently, universities can streamline technology onboarding, increase enrollments, improve fundraising, control costs, better engage faculty and staff, and, ultimately, improve students’ learning experience. 

Honorlock online proctoring has many similarities with Six Sigma’s methodology because it provides faculty with the ability to define, measure, analyze, improve, and control their proctored online exams.

In the third and final part of this series, we’ll show you that Honorlock online proctoring and Six Sigma have more in common than you think. We’ll show you features and functionality that will define, measure, analyze, improve and control your online exams.

Read Part 1 of this series: What is Six Sigma and how does it apply to higher education?

Read Part 3 of this series: What does online proctoring and Six Sigma have in common?

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Want to see Honorlock in action? Schedule a demo.

Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

What Does Online Proctoring and Six Sigma Have in Common?

woman proctoring online exam
In the third and final part of this three-part series, we’ll show you how online proctoring and Six Sigma technology have more in common than you think. See how you can define, measure, analyze, improve and control your online exams.

In our previous two blogs, we introduced Six Sigma—a methodology and set of principles that eliminate errors and improve processes—and then discussed how its DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) steps can help universities streamline technology implementation and  tackle a variety of administrative issues. 
Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Applying Six Sigma begins with defining the problem that needs to be solved. When the problem is protecting the academic integrity of your online exams and recognizing the need to implement online proctoring technology, Honorlock’s online assessment resources help you every step along the way. Let’s see how.

Define Your Problems

When you first reach out to Honorlock, you have probably already defined your problem and identified the need to protect academic integrity and improve the proctored exam experience for your faculty and students. 

We will work with you to define and identify exactly what needs to be addressed. Here are some examples:
Have your students reported that they underperformed on their exams because they felt anxious from being constantly watched by a live online proctor during their online exam?
Honorlock’s online proctoring blends the benefits of AI with a human touch. Our online proctoring software watches for possible violations, and records the student’s screen during the proctored online exam, but a live proctor will only intervene when necessary through a chat box. This can be a less intimidating and non-invasive proctored testing experience for the student.
Are your faculty tired of their test questions appearing on study sites without their permission?
Honorlock’s proprietary Search and Destroy software scours the internet for unauthorized copies of your test questions and requests that they be removed.
Are you concerned that students may use a cell phone or another device to look up test questions?
Honorlock’s online assessment resources have you covered with the industry’s first and only online proctoring technology to detect cell phones and other device use while a student is taking a proctored online exam. Our online proctoring software can detect when these devices are accessing test bank content during an online exam. Honorlock also captures a screen recording of the websites visited to provide evidence in the event of a violation.
Do your students complain about having to download bulky proctoring software?
Honorlock’s lightweight Chrome Extension takes moments to install, seconds to delete, and integrates seamlessly with your existing LMS.

Measure & Analyze for Better Performance

Honorlock makes it simple to measure and analyze the data collected in your online proctored exams. University of Florida psychology lecturer Ryan P. Mears found that out, much to his gratification: 

“I felt that I couldn’t trust my test scores before Honorlock. The analytics that come with the flags and real-time recording helped me to understand how students were approaching the course and what strategies they were using to pass the test. Honorlock helped me make sense of what was going on in my online course and it gave me confidence that academic integrity was upheld.”

Mears was able to adjust his questions to better encourage his students to show him what they had learned, which is what all course assessments strive to do.

“Honorlock was more than a tool to guard or block students from using inappropriate information. 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/information through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it,” Mears said.

Reduce Errors and Improve Efficiency

The budding scientists and engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute spend their lives thinking about making things work efficiently. When things weren’t going efficiently with WPI’s first online proctoring solution, the students and their instructors spoke up, and the administration responded.

After piloting multiple new online proctoring solutions, WPI chose Honorlock.

We provided them with their following top three goals for improvement:
  1. Successful proctoring of paper-based assessments
  2. Modest learning curve for students and faculty so they could focus on learning and teaching and not the technology
  3. Unlimited flexibility for students taking online exams 

Control Your Online Exams Cost Effectively

The WPI example showcases just a few of the many ways Honorlock can help you improve and thereafter maintain control of your proctored online exams. WPI began using Honorlock in 2019, but then worked with us to help them through the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020.

The entire higher education universe was thrown into turmoil as well, but, as another of Honorlock’s pre-pandemic clients, University of Florida’s Director of Distance Learning & Continuing Education Brian Marchman notes, there have been some “silver linings”:

“We had not planned in our budget for any way to pay for this, so we had to find the funds and not put it on the backs of students, and they were able to make it work for us… We were over a barrel, and they didn’t take advantage of that.”

During that historic spring 2020 semester, Honorlock helped UF administer over 154,000 proctored exams.

Honorlock’s flat-rate cost per online exam or user allows institutions to accurately estimate online exam costs, saving time and removing concerns of variable cost hikes.

Control Your Honorlock Demo

The best way to see exactly how Honorlock can give you more control over online exam proctoring is by scheduling a demo. Here’s what we’ll show you:
Exclusive features and functionality:
  • Automated proctoring + live proctoring
  • Online exam question and content protection
  • Multi-device detection
  • Student authentication in less than a minute
Student experience:
  • Demo a online exam proctoring as a student
  • Student data privacy
Instructor experience:
  • Ease of online exam set up
  • Customizing proctored online exams and accessibility
  • Reviewing online exam reports
A number of our clients switched to Honorlock after experiencing problems with their previous online proctoring systems. Here are three reasons we are confident that more will join them:
  • You can implement Honorlock online proctoring in just 2-days 
  • We have over 300 higher education partners of all sizes
  • We’re proud of our 100% customer retention rate

Inspired by Six Sigma processes that have helped a number of different industries work better and save billions of dollars, Honorlock takes a controlled and efficient approach, offering your institution the best way to proctor your online exams, protect your academic reputation and helping students and faculty to thrive.

Honorlock is an ongoing partner to help you:

  • Define problems and the scope of your online proctoring needs
  • Measure and collect relevant data of your online exam proctoring success
  • Analyze your data to make informed decisions and adjustments 
  • Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your online exams
  • Control your proctored online exams and associated costs

Read Part 1 of this series: What is Six Sigma and How does it Apply to Higher Education?

Read Part 2 of this series: Streamline technology implementation with Six Sigma

Sign up below to receive more resources for tips, best practices, white papers, and industry trends

Want to see Honorlock in action? Schedule a demo.

Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

Compare Online Proctoring Services

Guide for comparing different online proctoring services

When you compare online proctoring services, you may be surprised to find that they come in many shapes and sizes.

  • Can the proctoring software detect cell phone use?
  • Does it protect my exam questions from being posted on unauthorized test banks?
  • Are proctored exams easy to use to set up for faculty and students?
  • Is a flat-rate cost or will it cost more for variable requirements?
  • Does the proctoring software integrate with our Learning Management System (LMS)?
  • How does it ensure that student data privacy?
  • How long does it take to implement?
Click any part below to skip to that section

Part 1: What is online proctoring and why is it needed?

Online proctoring, sometimes referred to as remote proctoring, monitors students during an online exam using software and/or live proctors to:

  • Prevent cheating and protect exam integrity
  • Preserve accreditation
  • Improve student success
  • Scale online programs at an affordable cost

Some proctoring services use one method or a combination of both to effectively proctor online exams.

How does online proctoring protect accreditation?

Some online programs are required by law to verify identification. This is to ensure that the person taking the proctored exam is the same student enrolled in the course. 

According to the federal government’s 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act, higher education institutions that receive Title IV funding are required to verify the identity of enrolled online students by at least one of the following methods:

  • Online proctored exams 
  • New or other technologies and practices which verify identify
  • Secure login and password, such as a Learning Management System (LMS)

Improving student success

The right proctoring service will offer your students two key things: convenience and academic rigor.

Proctored exams can help provide online courses with the same level of quality as in the classroom with more flexibility. Students can take online exams at a time that works for their schedule and get needed support at any time

Part 2: What are the four types of online proctoring services?

Common methods of online proctoring services:

  • Browser lockdown software
  • Automated proctoring 
  • Live proctoring
  • Blending automated proctoring and live online proctoring

Browser Lockdown Software

What is browser lockdown software?

Test software tools like browser locks are used to prevent students from accessing other browsers, websites, or applications during an exam and to also restrict certain function keys and keyboard shortcuts. A browser lock is a starting point for proctoring online exams but lacks many features that address academic dishonesty.

How does a browser lockdown work?

They integrate with the LMS and prevent students from accessing websites, applications, and keyboard functions during the exam.

What are the benefits of a browser lockdown?

  • Easy to implement
  • Simple functionality prevents one aspect of academic dishonesty
  • Printing and screen capture is disabled

What are the issues of using a browser lock?

  • They only address one aspect of academic dishonesty
  • Students can easily work around a browser lock to find answers and cheat
    • If no other proctoring software is used along with the browser lock, a student can use their cell phone to search for answers or refer to their class notes

Automated Proctoring

What is automated proctoring?

Automated proctoring, also referred to as AI proctoring, uses AI software to monitor students during the online exam. 

How does automated proctoring work?

  • A student sits down for the online assessment, verifies their identity, and then starts the exam
  • AI technology monitors the student during the online exam 
  • Someone reviews the recording of their session and prepares a report for the instructor
  • The instructor can also review the session recording to better evaluate any flagged incidents

What are the benefits of automated proctoring?

  • No one has to be present during the online exam
  • Students can access online exams day or night
  • Reports provide critical details about student behavior
  • Instructors can easily review reports and decide if any academic dishonesty has occurred

What are the issues with automated proctoring?

  • Cheating is addressed after the exam
  • AI can miss some potential academic misconduct
  • The exam recording has to be reviewed in its entirety which can be a lengthy process
  • The lengthy review process delays grading, which can frustrate faculty and students 

Live Proctoring

What is live proctoring?

Proctoring services that aren’t using automated proctoring typically use live remote proctors who watch students as they take the exam.

How does live proctoring work?

  • Live remote proctors watch the student while they take their online exam to ensure that academic integrity is upheld
  • Remote proctors can intervene if any issues arise
  • After the online exam, live remote proctors create an exam report and send the recording to the instructor for review

What are the benefits of live proctoring?

  • Live proctoring means that you get many of the same benefits of proctoring an in-person, on-campus exam
  • Having a human monitor the online exams can make instructors more comfortable with the integrity of their exams
  • Live remote proctors can communicate with students in real-time
  • Sessions are still recorded so instructors can review if needed

What are the issues with live proctoring?

  • Live remote proctors are often watching multiple students simultaneously, which increases the chance of missing incidents
  • Students know they’re being watched which can increase exam anxiety and negatively impact exam performance
  • Scheduling is a hassle because students have to schedule ahead of time and align with the availability of the remote proctor
  • Some students have described live proctoring as “creepy” because the proctor is visible on their desktop throughout their exam

Blending AI Proctoring and Live Online Proctoring Services

Proctoring services such as Honorlock combine AI and live remote proctors to prevent cheating, protect academic integrity, and support students throughout.

How does Honorlock’s online proctoring services work?

  • Students can schedule and take their exam at any time – 24/7/365
  • AI monitors the student during the exam and prompts a live human proctor to enter if any issues are detected. This means that when a proctor is alerted, their attention is on one student only
  • Proctors can review the situation before intervening, which provides a less intimidating and non-invasive exam experience
  • Faculty save time when reviewing the assessment report because they don’t have to review false flags
  • Actionable exam reports and recordings are provided to instructors 

Ultimately, you should carefully evaluate and compare online proctoring services and decide what works best for your institution.

Part 3: What questions should I ask about proctoring software features and functionality?

There are seemingly endless features and functionality to consider when you compare online proctoring software.

You’re not just preventing cheating and protecting academic integrity, you’re also setting your faculty and students up for success.

Use these questions to drive your conversations with online proctoring companies:

Can the proctoring software detect the use of cell phones and other devices?

This is an important problem that most proctoring services haven’t solved, yet most students have a cell phone, a tablet, or even a smartwatch. As technology advances, your testing software needs to advance along with it.

Follow-up question: Does the proctoring software capture a screen recording of the specific sites visited by these devices and provide it to the instructor?

How does the proctoring software protect your exam questions and answers from unauthorized use on the internet?

Faculty spend a lot of time crafting exam questions that will allow students to demonstrate their newly gained knowledge. It’s frustrating when these questions are copied and shared with common study sites such as Quizlet, Chegg, and Coursehero.

Follow-up question: Does the proctoring software you’re considering automatically take steps toward removing that exam content from unauthorized sites?

Does the proctoring software integrate with your LMS?

The online proctoring software should directly integrate with your LMS, such as Canvas, Blackboard, and D2L Brightspace, so that faculty and students can work in a testing environment they’ve already mastered. The LMS integration should also allow you to operate within your LMS without requiring additional logins and passwords.

Follow-up questions:

  • How long does the integration process take?
  • Does the proctoring solution natively acquire your institution’s branding in the LMS?

Can you proctor third-party exams such as Cengage, Pearson, and McGraw Hill?

When faculty need to administer exams outside of your LMS, they need a proctoring solution that will provide effective evaluation while preventing academic dishonesty. Make sure your proctoring software seamlessly works with third-party systems.

Is real-time reporting available? If not, how long does it usually take to receive exam reporting?

Many online proctoring systems can take up to three days to provide exam recordings for faculty review. After that, faculty need to log into a third-party system for access. Make sure that the online proctoring service provides timely access to exam reports and recordings.

Follow-up questions: 

  • Are the proctored exam reports provided within your LMS?
  • Is there an additional cost associated with reporting?

When can students schedule and take their online exams?

With live proctoring, students usually find that they have to schedule their exam time in advance. Limited proctor hours can prevent students from being able to take the exam when they are most ready and most alert. This creates headaches and frustration. Be sure that exam scheduling is on-demand to provide a smooth experience for your students.

Follow-up question: If the proctoring software requires scheduling ahead of time and a student needs to reschedule their online exam, will they be penalized?

Does the proctoring software have voice detection?

Online proctoring solutions with voice detection features are often sensitive to sounds which can cause over-flagging. This sensitivity is not only annoying for your faculty but also causes unneeded stress for students. Ideally, you’ll find proctoring software with robust voice detection that reduces false flags. This also gives students who like to read questions aloud the peace of mind that they will not be flagged inappropriately.

The voice detection AI should go beyond simply listening for a voice and have the capability to identify common phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” to identify students who may be attempting academic dishonesty. Additionally, instructors and administrators should be able to create and update a list of dynamic words and phrases specific to their needs.

Follow-up questions:

  • Is the voice detection in real-time?
    • When an issue arises, the proctoring software should alert a live proctor who can enter the exam session to determine whether the student is acting appropriately
  • Does the proctoring software provide a written transcript when a voice is detected?

Does the online proctoring service quickly verify the student’s ID?

Many online proctoring services state perform identity verification, but how?  Be sure to ask.

The software should read the content on the student’s ID and match it to the student’s name and information in your LMS before the student is can launch the proctored exam. 

Follow-up questions: 

  • How long does the proctoring software typically take to verify a student’s ID? 60 seconds, a few minutes?
  • Does the online proctoring service charge extra for ID verification?

Is the proctoring software easy to use?

If you’re investing in online proctoring software, make sure it will actually be used by your faculty.

Easy-to-use proctoring software will actually get used. This is important because it can be the difference between true technology adoption and a better proctoring experience vs wasting money on a platform that isn’t being used. 

Follow-up questions:

  • What features save instructors time? 
  • What steps are involved for instructors to enable a proctored exam?
    • There should be minimal steps required: Instructors should be able to create exams like they normally would and select the proctoring features to use.
    • The software should also fully integrate with the LMS which means no additional logins or passwords.

Can you customize online exams based on accessibility needs?

Accessibility in the classroom is ever important and instructors need the ability to create specific instructions for any student requiring accommodations. It’s also important to review the company’s VPAT and have it validated by your team. 

Follow-up question: What assistive technologies are supported by the online proctoring solution?

Common assistive technologies are:
  • Natural Reader 
  • JAWS
  • NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)
  • Text2Speech 
  • Ultra Hal TTS Reader 
  • TTS Add-ons for Browsers.  
  • SpeakIt! 
  • FoxVox 
  • SpokenText 
  • SpeakingFox 
  • Talkie 
  • Chirpy 2.0 
  • Read Aloud 

How does the online proctoring service protect student privacy?

Student privacy is incredibly important to students, instructors, and institutions. It should be a top priority for online proctoring services as well. Obtain the online proctoring company’s privacy policy which should address why and how they’re protecting student data. 

Follow-up questions:

  • What data is collected by the online proctoring service and why is it needed?
  • Does the company sell or share student data?
  • How long is data kept by the online proctoring service?

How does the online proctoring service secure your data?

  • Is the proctoring software reliably hosted by a cloud service provider? 
  • Are employees of the online proctoring service trained and certified in FERPA and Data Protection?
  • Does the online proctoring service have the company’s data, security, and business practices audited annually by independent third parties to obtain certifications such as SOCII?
  • Is the online proctoring company GDPR compliant? This information should be readily available on their website.

Part 4: What should I ask about implementation, training, and support?

Critical variables that are often overlooked when purchasing online proctoring technology are implementation, training, and ongoing support.

Online proctoring implementation should be streamlined, project managed and fully supported during and after

Implementation

How long does it take to implement the proctoring solution?

 You need a quick and easy implementation that takes a few days, not weeks or months. This ensures that you’re getting your money’s worth as early as possible.

To set your institution up for success, you’ll want to establish a few things before you begin the implementation:
  • What’s your go-live date?
    Once the go-live date is established, the full implementation including training and onboarding sessions take place
  • Who are your administrators?
    This is the list of who at your school should have admin accounts (list names and emails)
  • What dates and times are open for your team?

Training

Training should be thorough and leave your faculty with confidence moving forward. Be sure that the online proctoring service provides ongoing training materials and 24/7/365 support for students, faculty, and administrators.

What training for online exam proctoring is available?

 Ask the online proctoring service to provide a sample training plan that details each segment and the goals.

What ongoing training resources are available?

 Online proctoring services should include resources such as quick reference guides, FAQs, and technical information for users. An added bonus is holding pre-semester webinars that cover commonly asked questions by other customers.

Customer Success Managers

 Whether you have feature requests or want help, make sure that the proctoring service includes a dedicated Account Manager or Customer Success Manager to help you along the way.

Support for faculty and students

Since education is an around-the-clock endeavor, remote proctoring support for your faculty and students should be too.
Ask these questions to ensure that you’re receiving the best support possible:
  • What are the support hours of operation?
    Student support should be readily available anytime, 24/7/365, for your students and faculty.
  • Does the proctoring service include technical support or is it an additional cost to the online proctoring software?
    Technical support for online proctoring software is often an added expense. To keep your costs under control, make sure that the online proctoring service includes this price along with the software.
  • How is support provided?
    Ideally, instructors, students, and administrators will have multiple options to connect with a human for support such as support via phone, live chat, and email.Follow-up questions:
    • Is support built into the remote proctoring software or do users have to go to a different program or application?
    • Is remote proctoring support provided in real-time?
    • Will your faculty and students speak with a human or a bot?

Part 5: What are the cost structures and how do you avoid additional costs?

Each instructor, not to mention each course, has variable requirements for proctored online exams. This can lead to unfair hikes in cost.

To avoid unfair online proctoring cost hikes, ask the following questions:
  • Do you charge a flat rate per online exam/student or does the cost vary?
    • With flat rates, you’re able to protect your bottom line and better estimate online exam proctoring costs. As an example, when online proctoring services charge per hour, you may pay twice as much for longer proctored online exams.
  • Do students have to pay extra to reschedule an exam?
    • Some live proctoring services require that students pay a fee to reschedule the exam.
  • Are implementation and training an additional cost
    • Be cautious of additional costs such as implementation and training, which can be tossed into the contract at the last minute or added later. To provide the best experience possible, online proctoring services should provide implementation and training at no additional cost.

Honorlock Online Proctoring Services

Honorlock combines AI and live remote proctors to protect academic integrity. We make online proctoring simple, easy, and human.

Additionally, Honorlock’s online proctoring services can be implemented in as little as two days and provides 24/7/365 faculty and student support.

The benefits of Honorlock’s proctoring services:

Cell phone detection

 Honorlock not only detects the use of cell phones, tablets, and other devices – our patented AI captures a screen recording of the violation to provide evidence of academic dishonesty. This helps deter students from using their phones out of view and you get to proctor beyond the webcam.

Combine AI and live test proctors

Honorlock combines the benefits of AI with those of a live test proctor. Our remote proctoring software partners with our trained proctors to reduce test anxiety and provide human support while upholding exam integrity. 

Our AI software monitors each exam session for problems and alerts a live, US-based proctor to join the session to address possible dishonesty. Our software equips the proctor with an analysis window so they can review the situation before entering the exam session via chat-box to address the situation.

Detect voices

Honorlock’s Voice Detection feature goes beyond by listening for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” to identify students who may be attempting to cheat on an exam. If the AI detects any dishonesty, it alerts a live proctor in real-time to pop into the exam session via chat to intervene and redirect the student.

Our AI delivers a more robust voice detection system that reduces false flags, such as dog barking. Honorlock also provides a written transcript to instructors whenever a student’s voice is detected.

Reduce illicit exam content from the Internet

 Once you enable Honorlock in an online exam, our test bank removal technology, Search and Destroy™ searches the Internet for leaked online exam questions.

Plug and play LMS integration

Honorlock’s online proctoring software directly integrates with your LMS.

This also means no additional sign-ons or passwords for faculty and students – in just a few clicks, your students and faculty are ready for the proctored online exam.

Remote proctor third-party exams

 Our proctoring software provides instructors with the ability to proctor third party exams with MyMathLab, ALEKS, Pearson, McGraw Hill, and others. Faculty can easily register third party online exams and customize exam settings in the LMS.

Actionable reporting

Extensive data is collected during the proctored exam in the institution’s LMS. Reports on student activity are provided at no additional cost to the institution.

Honorlock’s analytics provide quick results for a number of potential violations. For instance, if the student’s face goes outside the view of the camera, the violation is detected and available to the instructors via the Honorlock dashboard. The detailed reports that are available to each instructor include violations and any suspicious behavior/activity. 

24/7/365 exam scheduling

 Students can take online proctored exams with Honorlock at any time—even if it’s at 2 am over Thanksgiving break.

Verify student ID in 60 seconds

 Honorlock’s proctoring software quickly captures the content on the student’s ID along with their photo so you can be sure the student taking the proctored online exam is the student getting credit.

Easy to use and quick to set up

Honorlock was designed with the user in mind and removes much of the manual labor involved. Additionally, the LMS integration makes setup quick and simple.

The instructor creates their test in the LMS as they normally would, and then simply clicks “Enable” and the test is ready for online proctoring. And it’s just as easy for the student.

Protect student data privacy

 Student privacy is incredibly important to students, professors, and Honorlock.

Here are a few keys to remember about Honorlock’s approach to student privacy:

  • Honorlock is FERPA compliant
  • Honorlock does not sell or monetize student data
  • Honorlock does not use any student data for anything other than carrying out online exam proctoring services
  • Only appropriate school personnel have access to student data
    • Key staff from Honorlock will have access if needed to help provide quality control and support for instructors.
  • Your school owns the data
    • Honorlock uses an encrypted and secured connection during each online proctored exam. All videos and photos are stored on Honorlock’s platform. All data, including photos and video, is stored in an encrypted format on isolated storage systems within Honorlock’s private cloud in Amazon’s AWS U.S. data centers.
  • We store data in accordance with your institution’s MSA
    • After the specified time of your MSA, all student-related data is automatically purged unless the university requests an extension of a particular student’s data related to an academic integrity case. Upon request from the university, Honorlock can extend the data retention of a student’s data up to an additional 12 months.
Implementation can be completed in 2 days

Honorlock’s implementation is streamlined, project managed, and fully supported throughout to ensure your success and that faculty feel confident and will actually use the proctoring software. 

Training and ongoing training materials

Training is available for instructors and staff at no additional cost.

Honorlock also provides a comprehensive list of quick reference guides, help articles, and videos for faculty and students. This includes resources provided to the admin to assist in student orientation and training. The guides and tutorials are effective as a means of providing ongoing training for new faculty and administrators.

24/7/365 support for students and faculty

 Just like our online exam proctoring, our support is on-demand 24/7/365. From implementation to proctoring online exams, our US-based, trained support agents are available via phone (faculty only), live chat, and email. Support access is available within the online proctoring software in real-time and you’ll speak with a real person.

Fully accessible and customizable online proctoring software

Honorlock is ADA accessible and compliant with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Honorlock has also been developed and tested to conform to WCAG 2.0 level AA guidelines for accessible use. Conformance to accessibility guidelines is part of our development process and testing is completed using various tools including screen readers (eg: Jaws and NVDA) and Deque’s aXe. All information including details and disclosures have been specified in our VPAT.

Additionally, instructors can restrict or provide access to specific websites and applications during the proctored exam. Instructors are also able to provide descriptive guidelines for students to let them know exactly what is allowed and what isn’t allowed on your proctored exam. 

There is also a section for instructors to put in any specific notes for remote proctors. This is where instructors can list any students that have any specific accommodations. The student guidelines make it easy for the remote proctor to see what guidelines the instructor provided for the student. 

Honorlock’s online proctoring services are used by more than 300+ institutions:

Read quotes from their customer success stories:

Ease of use
 “The faculty loved it because it did what we wanted it to do and it was super easy to use. Even students said they liked Honorlock best.”

 – Jill Simpson, Ph.D. University of North Alabama

24/7/365 support
“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, Broward College
Protecting online exam content from unauthorized use
“One of the unexpected features that has surprised and delighted our faculty is Search and Destroy. So fabulous!”
– Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky, Director of Distance Education and Digital Education Collaborative, Longwood University
Customizing proctored online exams
“Instructors like how they can set different parameters in the exams. It’s a better experience for the students because instructors can be very specific, whitelist sites, and easily administer third-party exams. Overall, the semester has started out very very smoothly!”
– Paula Rodriguez, Director of the University Testing Center, Colorado State University
Quick implementation
“We were working with Honorlock to do a pilot in the Spring and… was able to get us up and running for the Fall finals right away. All of the faculty were able to adapt within the two days; all were able to use it and review the tests. We did it quick!”
– Christopher Harvey, Executive Director of Academic Technology, St. Petersburg College
Reporting benefits
“Honorlock was more than a tool to guard or block students from using inappropriate information. 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/information through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it.”
– Ryan P. Mears, PhD, University of Florida
Blended online proctoring features
“When the AI is triggered, a skilled human proctor intervenes. This model worked better than the competitor’s model having all exams proctored by people who were unable to properly provide student support.”
– Kate Beverage, Director of Technology for Teaching and Learning Services, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
24/7 exam scheduling
“They don’t have to make a reservation like they used to do. They just log in and take the test anytime within the time window provided by the faculty member. It just works!”
– Ken Craver, Director of Distance Education, Tyler Junior College
Exclusive remote proctoring features
“The features Honorlock had to offer blew everyone else out of the water; Search and Destroy and Multi-device Detection made us realize that we had to get this product… If we can’t verify that our students are the ones who are completing the work, and all of our quizzes are out there on the internet where anyone can look up the answers, what kind of quality is that degree?”
– Cody Moyer, M.Ed., Director of Learning Technology, Polk State College

Online proctoring services are an ongoing strategic advantage for your institution’s online learning efforts and plays a vital role in improving student success and learning outcomes.

“We know universities have many options when it comes to online test proctoring. Our goal is to be the best option. We’re committed to leading the industry through innovation and customer success.”
– Michael Hemlepp, CEO of Honorlock

To learn more about how Honorlock’s online proctoring services can help your institution, sign up for a demo today!

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Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

Complete Guide to Online Exams

Learn how to create better online exams that prevent cheating and support students

Click the sections below to skip ahead

Part 1: Best practices for online exams

Best practices, creative tips, and ways to provide students with the best online exam experience possible.

Part 2: Common mistakes to avoid in online exams

From not detecting cell phone use to not using video proctoring, these mistakes can make or break your online exams.

Part 3: How to prevent cheating and protect integrity

 Learn ways to prevent cheating and how technology can help.

Part 1: Best practices for online exams

Whether you’re creating your first or your hundredth online exam, these tips will help you improve your assessments.

Provide practice tests

It’s important to remember two things:

  1. Online exams may be new to your students  
  2. Even if they’ve taken online exams this may be their first time using your platform

Practice tests are a great way to make sure that students understand how to use the online testing platform and your expectations for online exams. By the end of the practice test, students should be comfortable with the technology and confident for their first real online exam. 

Tips for creating effective practice tests:

  • Create practice tests that use a format like your actual tests and quizzes
  • If students will be timed in a real test, time the practice test
  • If you’ll include both multiple-choice and essay questions in the real test, use both question types in the practice test 

Use browser lockdown software to limit access to certain information

With any online exam, you need to ensure that students don’t have access to content that will compromise the integrity of the assessment, such as online test banks. However, there may be certain information you want to provide access to that is beneficial to complete the online exam.

However, you need to ensure that students aren’t locked out of information that is essential to solving a problem but doesn’t need to be committed to memory.

For example, figures and tables or authorized websites needed to effectively frame and answer questions should be provided in the testing and proctoring software. This helps students focus on solving a problem rather than remembering models.

Just keep in mind that browser locks only cover a small piece of the puzzle to prevent cheating.

Create test rules that are clear and understandable

When you make effective test rules for online exams, you help avoid confusion and provide a better online testing experience for your students.

How to make better test rules:

  • Create rules that are concise and leave no room for interpretation

Example:

  • Don’t do: Don’t speak to your friends during the exam.
  • Do: No talking during all exams.

In the “Don’t do” example, the student may think:“my peer from class isn’t my friend, so it’s okay to speak with them for help.”

Use question banks to mix things up

 One of the best features online exams have to offer is the question bank — a solution that helps you keep your students on their toes, make sure they’re engaged with the content and mix things up from student to student.

Tips for using question banks in your online exams:

  • Create more questions than actually needed for the exam 
  • If your exam has 30 multiple-choice questions, create 40
  • By creating additional questions, the system will randomize questions pulled for students so that there are no identical tests.

Observe student behavior during online exams

If you’ve ever created materials for online learning, such as exams or assignments, you know that what you intend and what students perceive is not always aligned. This means that students can miss cues you might have felt were obvious.

It’s crucial to review items such as the student usage logs and watch the online exam videos if recorded. By reviewing and performing a quality check, you’ll better understand how your testing expectations are interpreted, which allows you to revise and improve in the future.

Review & optimize your exam settings

 While you may not have control over a student’s environment during the online exam, online proctoring provides many customizable settings to ensure success.

Example:

Only display one question at a time

 Choosing to only display one question at a time has a dual purpose: It makes it more difficult for students to screenshot or copy online exam content and saves their progress after each question.

Randomizing questions and disabling copy/paste

 By randomizing your online exam questions and removing the ability to copy and paste your content, you’re protecting your test questions and course content. Ultimately, you can choose what works best for you and your students by getting to know the features and what they do. And, once you’ve chosen your favorites, remember to review them every time so you know you’ll get the results you want from your assessment.

Create accessible exams and provide accommodations

Accessibility in the class room is crucial for student success. In Honorlock’s online proctoring Accommodations section, you can specify accommodations for specific students, for example:

  • John Doe is allowed to use multiple monitors.
  • Jane Smith is allowed a 5-minute restroom break.
  • John Doe does not have a Photo ID, please bypass ID verification.

You can also use your learning management system to manage online exam availability, time extensions, number of attempts, and extended due dates. 

Request feedback of your online exams

Encourage students to provide you with genuine feedback about your online exams. 

TIP: Be objective and truly listen to the feedback given by your students. Use their feedback in a constructive way to improve your online exams. 

Part 2: Common mistakes to avoid in online exams

1. Not detecting cell phone use

Students have seemingly endless ways to access the internet, such as cell phones and tablets, which makes it easy and tempting to cheat on your online exams. 

How do you ensure that students aren’t using other devices to access the internet during an online exam?
Use software that can detect the use of cell phones and other devices. Students need to be aware that if they attempt to use a cell phone or another device, such as a tablet, during the online exam, it will be detected, and they can be penalized according to the instructor.

2. Not removing test exam questions and answers from the internet

It’s extremely frustrating for instructors to find out that their online exam questions and content are available on unauthorized websites, such as Quizlet, Chegg, and Coursehero. Test bank websites were initially aimed to provide learning support materials, but regardless of their intention, they make it quick and easy for students to find and share your online exam questions and content.

Try this: Google search a handful of your online exam questions

You may be surprised at the number of your exam questions and content that are on the internet without your permission. You may even see questions in the same chronological order as the real exam.

Instructors need smart technology that provides them with confidence that their online exam content isn’t being used on the internet, prevents them from having to continually create new exam questions each semester, and ensures institutions are protecting academic integrity and reputation. Furthermore, instructors need technology that stops students from copying, pasting, and printing your online exam content. 

3. Not checking for notes, textbooks, and other people in the room

Online exams are convenient because students can take their assessments at any time from any location with internet access, but they also provide an opportunity for students to access other resources. Resources can include class notes, textbooks, or even a knowledgeable friend in the room.

How can you detect and prevent students from using other resources?
The best way is to use online exam proctoring that allows you to require a student to scan the room using their webcam before taking the assessment. This gives instructors peace of mind and verifies that the student is alone in the room and doesn’t have their notes or textbooks available during the online exam.

4. Not verifying the student’s identity before the online exam

Before a student begins your online exam, you need to verify their identity.
How can you verify the student’s identity in an online proctoring format?

You need a secure online proctoring software that quickly captures the content on the student’s ID along with their photo so you can be sure the student taking the online exam is the student getting credit. There are differences among online testing and proctoring systems, but essentially, to verify the student’s ID, the webcam is used to capture an image of both the student and their photo ID. When the system confirms that the student and ID match, the student can begin the online exam.

Did you know that for some programs, ID verification is required by law?

The federal government’s 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (Section 602.17, Subsection G) requires higher education institutions that receive Title IV funding to verify the identities of enrolled distance education students by one or more of the following methods:

  1. Proctored exams
  2. A secure login and password, such as a Learning Management System
  3. New or other technologies and practices which verify identify

“Many institutions simply opt for secure student login and password credentials through their Learning Management System (LMS). While this meets federal regulations, basic LMS credentials are not an effective combatant or deterrent against academic integrity violations.” 

– Termini and Hayes, Student Identity Verification Tools and Live Proctoring in Accordance With Regulations to Combat Academic Dishonesty in Distance Education, 2014

5. Not Monitoring Online Exams in Real-Time

Many online exam proctoring companies offer on-demand services via a record-and-review model. While this model may help identify academic dishonesty, it’s time-consuming and can take days for reports to be sent to the instructor, which means that the student is only penalized after the online exam. 

Are you only relying on a record-and-review model to proctor exams?
By providing online proctoring with real-time monitoring, you can prevent cheating before it happens. An online test proctor can intervene as incidents occur, resolve issues, and help students get back on track to improve academic outcomes and their overall testing experience.

6. Watching the entire online exam in real-time

When students know that someone is watching them throughout their online exam, their performance may suffer due to the added anxiety and stress.

Live proctoring has to be scheduled in advance and may not be available at times that work best for the student (like 2:00 am on a Thursday). Further, if the student needs to change their appointment, they may be penalized. 

You also have to consider that a live test proctor is typically watching several students (as many as 10) at the same time, which can increase the possibility that they’ll miss incidents of academic misconduct. Using AI proctoring to monitor the online exam and alert remote proctors to potential issues provides greater oversight and flexibility while maintaining integrity.

To effectively monitor online exams, you need a proctoring solution that blends the benefits of AI proctoring and live test proctors. This blended approach benefits from allowing human exam proctors to give students the benefit of the doubt and get them back on track as needed. 

Part 3: How to prevent cheating and protect academic integrity

With the abundance of technology available to students today, protecting the academic integrity of your online exams with remote proctoring is more important than ever.

Use online proctoring software

What is online proctoring?

Online proctoring, sometimes referred to as remote proctoring or proctored testing, is monitoring students taking online exams with software and services to:

  • Protect academic integrity
  • Prevent and deter cheating 
  • Help and support students complete their online exams

What is Honorlock online proctoring?

Honorlock online proctoring blends AI technology and human proctors. Honorlock also provides 24/7/365 support for your faculty and students at no additional cost.

Proctored online exams shouldn’t be a pain for faculty or students. Our simple, affordable online proctoring software operates around you—no scheduling, headaches, or bulky software downloads. We prioritize academic integrity and are continually innovating to deter and prevent cheating, and our patented mobile device detection system is the only technology of its kind. 

A simple browser guard to prevent access to the internet and blocking right-clicks to copy and paste isn’t enough to prevent cheating in online exams.

“Honorlock has some technologies that no one else has: Search and Destroy and Multi-Device Detection…Honorlock is going to try to keep a problem from happening rather than tell you about a problem after it happens.”

 – Ken Craver, Director of Distance Education, Tyler Junior College

How to prevent cheating using Honorlock online proctoring

Cell phone detection

Preventing mobile phone use is one of the most significant challenges with remotely proctored exams. Fortunately, Honorlock is proud to have the industry’s first and only online proctoring system to detect mobile phone, tablet, and laptop use while a student is taking an online exam. 

How does Honorlock detect cell phone use?

While a student is testing, our patented online exam proctoring software detects the use of secondary devices, prevents students from accessing test bank information, and then takes a screen recording of any additional devices to monitor for suspicious activity and to provide evidence in the event of a violation.

This function deters students from using their cell phones and allows you to better protect the academic integrity of your online exams.

Online proctoring with a human touch

Honorlock reinvented online proctoring and offers the first and only system that combines the benefits of automation with those of a live online exam proctor.

Honorlock’s Live Proctoring uses artificial intelligence to identify academic dishonesty and instantly triggers a live human proctor to intervene in the online exam in real-time. Instead of watching every single proctored online exam from start to finish which can be costly, require scheduling, and makes students uncomfortable, Honorlock’s live proctors only interact with students when they are engaging in suspicious activity.

How does it work?

Honorlock’s AI-driven, Live Pop-In monitors the student for potential problems, and, if it detects any, our live online exam proctor is prompted to join a student’s session in real-time to address possible dishonesty as it happens. 

Live Pop-In keeps the human touch while delivering a much less intimidating and non-invasive testing experience for the student. Faculty save a substantial amount of time when reviewing the assessment report because they don’t have to review false flags.

The benefits of Live Pop-In
  • Live Pop-In provides a 1:1 setting
    When a certified online exam proctor is alerted by the AI, the proctor is attentive and focused on one student. In other settings, a live proctor could be watching up to 10 students for an extended period, a scenario that can be exhausting and may lead to missed violations.
  • Live Pop-In is on-demand
    Students can schedule and complete their online exam at any time, 24/7/365.
  • Cost-Effectiveness
    Live Pop-In is a more cost-effective solution than live proctoring because watching every single online exam from start to finish is time-consuming and expensive. 
  • Review Options
    Live Pop-In gives an online exam proctor an analysis window to review the potential academic dishonesty situation before they pop in. In contrast, live online proctors have to catch it live or they will miss it.

Remove online exam questions from the Internet

We’ve created the most comprehensive and extensive device detection toolkit on the market to protect your exams.

Search and Destroy™, our proprietary test bank removal technology, searches the Internet for unauthorized copies of your test questions and content and requests that they be destroyed.

How does it work?
Once you enable Honorlock in an online assessment, our proctoring software automatically searches for

leaked content. It then requests the removal of the material from third-party websites by filing DMCA copyright takedown notices. As an added measure of protection, we also allow you to prevent students from copying, pasting, and printing during the proctored online exam. Honorlock’s online proctoring gives instructors the confidence of knowing they won’t have to create new test questions each semester, and grants institutions the peace of mind that they are protecting their programs’ academic integrity.

“One of the unexpected features that has surprised and delighted our faculty is Search and Destroy. So fabulous!”

– Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky, Director, Distance Education and Digital Education Collaborative, Longwood University

Meaningful voice detection

With our Voice Detection technology, Honorlock creates a high priority flag whenever words like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or Google are heard, as well as any word from a dynamic list of words or phrases like “help me,” “what’s the answer,” “cheat,” “question,” “answer,” “copy,” etc. This list can be added to or modified by the University.

  • Faculty report that simple alerts for detected sounds are not useful in that they are typically over-employed during proctored exam sessions. This hypersensitivity annoys faculty and puts undue stress on students. Honorlock’s new AI capability delivers a more robust voice detection system that reduces false flags and gives students who like to read questions aloud peace of mind that they will not be flagged inappropriately. Honorlock’s Voice Detection feature goes beyond by listening for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” to identify students who may be attempting academic dishonesty and alerts a live test proctor in real-time to pop into the online exam session via chat to intervene and redirect the student.
  • What if a student is talking to someone else during the online exam?
    If a student starts talking to someone this activity would trigger a live online test proctor. The proctor would then enter the student’s online exam session in a chat window, pause the exam, and correct the student’s behavior. 
  • What if the student is speaking out loud to themselves?
    Honorlock delivers smart voice detection that reduces false flags and allows students to read questions out loud during the online exam without being flagged for academic dishonesty.
  • What if a dog barks or a phone rings?
    Honorlock’s online test proctors have an analysis window to assess whether a student’s behavior is actually “academic dishonesty,” so they do not interrupt online exam sessions for false positives, such as a dog barking. If the proctor determines there are no integrity incidents during the analysis window, they can downgrade the flag (not removing it) to eliminate the need for faculty to review it at a later time.

Quick student ID verification

Honorlock online proctoring verifies the student’s authentication/ID in less than 60 seconds.

Quick student ID verification

 Honorlock captures the content on the student’s ID along with their photo so you can be sure the student taking the exam is the student getting credit.

Remote proctor third-party exams

Honorlock will set your institution apart by delivering proctoring services within third-party exam systems such as MyMathLab, ALEKS, Pearson and McGraw Hill. 

How does it work?

 Faculty can easily register third-party exams and customize exam settings in your LMS. Students can access and launch the exam from the LMS with a few simple clicks. You can rest assured that all online exams – even those outside your LMS – are proctored effectively to protect academic integrity.

Real-time reporting for proctored online exams

Your faculty and students expect fast turnaround times for their exams. The Honorlock online proctoring software collects extensive data and provides real-time reporting analytics during the student’s proctored exam session in the institution’s LMS. Reports on student activity are provided at no additional cost to the institution.

How does it work?

Honorlock real-time analytics provides instantaneous results for many potential violations. For instance, users accessing test bank content during the assessment and/or mobile device violations are detected and available to the instructors in real-time via the Honorlock dashboard. Detailed reports are available to each instructor as the online exams are completed. These reports include violations and any suspicious behavior/activity. Faculty and admins also can export exam summary reports as well as download student videos. Exported data can be used in third-party analytic and reporting tools that are popular at many institutions such as SQL reporting, Tableau, etc.

“Honorlock was more than a tool to guard or block students from using inappropriate information. 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/information through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it.”

 -Ryan P. Mears, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Florida

LMS Integration

Your faculty are busy and need the ability to set up proctored online exams in your own LMS with just a few clicks. Most online proctoring services require additional software or third-party logins, making the setup a challenge for the instructor and the pre-test experience even more stressful for the student

How does it work?

Honorlock Integrates directly into your institution’s LMS with a very simple interface.

The instructor creates their online test in the LMS as they normally would, and then simply clicks “Enable” and the test is ready for online proctoring. It’s just as easy for the student; the student will already be in familiar territory when they attempt to start their proctored exam since they will go to their exam in the LMS and launch the online proctoring session from there. It typically takes less than 60 seconds for the student to complete the authentication process and start the online proctored exam.

Additionally, because Honorlock is embedded with the institution’s LMS, it natively acquires the branding of the LMS.

“It’s seamless, it’s quick, the equipment checks are faster than our previous solution. The entire experience is so much nicer.”

-Paula Rodriguez, Director of the University Testing Center, Colorado State University

Implementation & support

In addition to Honorlock’s unparalleled features and functionality, implementation is quick and support for faculty and students is on-going.

2-day implementation of online proctoring

The implementation process can happen in as little as 2 to 3 days. The training webinars can be recorded and distributed as needed for additional users, or for ongoing training purposes.

“All of the faculty were able to adapt within the two days; all were able to use it and review the tests. We did it quick!” 

– Christopher Harvey, Executive Director of Academic Technology, St. Petersburg College

Ongoing 24/7/365 Faculty and Student Support

From implementation and training to creating your exams, our US-based, trained support agents are available 24/7/365 via phone, live chat with a real person, and email. Support access is built into our platform in real-time. 

“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, Broward College

Online exam proctoring is a fundamental and ongoing strategic advantage for your institution.

With over 300 of customers of all sizes, Honorlock is well-positioned as the future of online proctoring to maintain academic integrity for schools and enable life-changing success for students.

To learn more about how Honorlock can help your institution, sign up for a demo today!

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Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

What is Transformational Leadership?

There’s no one size fits all style for effective leadership in teaching; many variables can affect the type of leadership that is needed, such as the industry and size of the team. While there are many leadership styles, Transformational Leadership has gained much attention and is highly sought after across many industries including higher education.

Simply put, transformational leaders inspire and motivate others to create positive change. While that may seem broad, it’s important to understand the specific qualities that drive transformational leaders and how they impact others, as well as the nuances of this leadership style. 

This blog will address:

What is Transformational Leadership?

  • What are the qualities of a transformational leader?
  • What are the four elements of Transformational Leadership?
  • Transformational Leadership vs Transactional Leadership
  • Where is Transformational Leadership used?

The need for Transformational Leadership in Higher Education

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What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational Leadership is a leadership style that encourages, motivates, and inspires others to create change and grow the future of the organization. This results in an engaged and productive workforce that feels empowered and supported. 

Marc Hardy Ph.D., leadership expert and creator of Leadership Through Sharing Fire, describes the importance of leading by teaching as a transformational leader, “To be remembered as a transformative leader, we need to see ourselves as a teacher who gives people the tools to create a better professional and personal life. If we want to be remembered as a person who truly had an impact on the lives of others and the organization, we should be willing to share knowledge and guidance.“

The concept of Transformational Leadership was initially introduced in 1978 by leadership expert James MacGregor Burns and further developed by researcher Bernard Bass. Transformational leaders create a clear vision and lead by example to build the trust and confidence of their teams. So what’s in it for this type of leader? “More productive and happy employees. People who look up to you and admire and trust you, not because of your power, but because of your perceptions of them and your belief in their potential,” said Hardy.

What are the qualities of a transformational leader?

Transformational leaders create change in their team and organization. While it’s hard to note every characteristic, here are five common qualities of a transformational leader:

1. Adaptable and innovative

Regardless of the industry, leaders must be able to adapt to the fast-paced and ever-changing work environment and market. They’re able to quickly recognize the situation and audience to adapt accordingly, while still remaining authentic. Transformational leaders are innovative when faced with uncertainty and new situations and seek creative ways to plan and take action. 

2. Forward-thinking and proactive

In contrast to many styles of leadership that aim to maintain the status quo and keep operations afloat, transformational leaders are always thinking “what’s next?” Transformational leaders understand what needs to change and have a great sense of the bigger picture for the team and organization. 

3. Communicative and transparent

Transformational leaders are not only forward-thinking and proactive, they also clearly communicate their vision and goals to their team and organization. Clarity provides context and clear direction of what’s needed to be successful. Oftentimes, trust is built by genuine communication and transparency. Building trust is key to establishing an engaged team that feels heard and supported.

4. Emotionally intelligent and self-aware

Emotional intelligence is key for leaders because it allows them to harness their emotions and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. This reflection provides a true look at areas to improve and continue learning for themselves and others. 

5. Charismatic with strong interpersonal skills

The main focus for transformational leaders is the ability to connect with their team to inspire and motivate them to create a better future. The ability to rally their team towards a clear vision requires charisma and strong interpersonal skills. This includes being truly present, listening, inspiring, and building trust and credibility with stakeholders. 

What are the four elements of Transformational Leadership?

Bass identified four elements needed for transformational leadership:

1. Idealized Influence

1. Idealized Influence

Transformational leaders lead by example and act as role models for their team. When leaders “walk the talk,” they not only build trust and gain admiration from their team, they also demonstrate the qualities that are expected from others. 

2. Inspirational Motivation

Provide clear vision

Transformational leaders provide a clear vision and direction to inspire and motivate others on the team. This helps motivate others to improve their performance and improves morale. The first two elements, Idealized Influence and Inspirational Motivation, create a strong foundation of credibility and trust with the team.

3. Individualized Consideration

Know your team and build trust

As with any team, each individual has specific needs and expectations. Some are motivated by monetary bonuses, while others are motivated by a simple thank you. Transformational leaders need the ability to identify key motivators for each individual in order to develop and inspire them to continue growing. Truly knowing the individuals on the team allows leaders to grow and develop each individual’s skills and progression in their role.

4. Intellectual Stimulation

Encourage creativity and innovation

Transformational leaders encourage and support others to be creative and think outside the box. By creating a culture that encourages creativity and innovation, job satisfaction and performance can increase as well as overall team morale.

Transformational Leadership vs Transactional Leadership

What is the difference between Transformational Leadership and Transactional Leadership?

What is Transactional Leadership?

Transactional Leadership essentially rewards and incentivizes good performance and uses power to discipline employees based on poor performance. This style of leadership in teaching has a strict structure and order based on process and control. Generally, transactional leaders are focused on maintaining the normal flow of operations today, not strategically looking ahead at tomorrow.

Transactional Leadership Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Simple to implement and follow
  • Quickly addresses operational details
  • Incentives can be a strong motivator for performance
  • Eliminates confusion with the chain of command

Cons:

  • Removes individuality and innovation
  • Does not prepare others to lead
  • No empathy is provided
  • Tends to focus more on discipline and consequences than rewards

The main difference between the two leadership styles is that Transactional Leadership is focused on maintaining results today through process and control, while Transformational Leadership is focused on tomorrow’s vision and innovation by inspiring others to create positive change. 

Where is Transformational Leadership used?

More and more industries are recognizing the positive impact of Transformational Leadership. From technology and finance to education and government – transformational leaders are needed to drive organizations towards success. Transformational leaders thrive in changing markets and new situations because they’re constantly thinking ahead and planning for the future. They’re aware of what’s changing and how their team and organization need to adapt and stay ahead. 

According to Hardy, Transformational Leadership isn’t just a new style of leading, but something that should be adopted across all industries, including higher education, “If we truly want to create successful, sustainable organizations, from the top down we need to discard the old industrial model of negative cultures that no longer work in today’s world and adopt the new models of leadership based on compassion, people and positive psychology.”

The need for Transformational Leadership in Higher Education

While Transformational leadership is increasingly popular across every industry, it’s perfectly aligned with the needs of higher education and can create positive change for the faculty and students of the institution. 

Transformational leaders have the ability to drive student engagement by listening to their views and showing understanding, sparking important discussions through open lines of communication, and encouraging students to do better not only for themselves but for their classmates and campus community.

Increased student engagement typically yields a better learning experience and, ultimately, student success. 

Whether it’s an instructor developing thoughtful class discussions and effective online exams or a dean creating diversity and inclusion initiatives or strategies to engage donors, transformational leaders march towards their vision of a better educational experience for everyone.

“My hat is off to those leaders who understand the importance of leading positive change and who walk their talk. There are some very enlightened leaders emerging who embrace the creation of a positive culture and have had tremendous success,” Hardy explained. With workplaces and industries that are constantly changing and evolving, strong leadership is more important than ever. Understanding the true impact of Transformational Leadership will not only allow your team and organization to adapt and grow, but it’ll also inspire and motivate the next generation of leaders in the workforce.

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Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.

Honorlock’s Pledge To You During COVID

We’re Here for You During COVID

To our customers, friends, partners, and the entire higher education community,

As we move forward during this crisis, we recognize that many of you – administrators, faculty, and students – are navigating new waters as you transition to online courses. Our HonorSquad wants you to know that we’re here for you and praying for your health and safety.

Our focus is to ensure you have the support you need during this transition. We are already actively working with many of you who have transitioned to a fully online model and with others who are preparing to make the jump.

Click for information about implementing online proctoring if your institution is moving to online learning related to COVID.

Here are a few things we’re preparing to help you during this time:

Scaling online proctoring

Honorlock is cloud-hosted and has the ability to auto-scale to keep up with the increase in usage we anticipate. To ensure that we haven’t missed anything along the way we have:

    • Been in contact with AWS to ensure we can provision (proactively), extra capacity to ensure we are operating at a level that is severely higher than any volume expected.
    • Working with our partners (3rd party tools) who provide services such as video services, to ensure they too understand our expected spike in volume, they can provision and scale services, and that we work closely throughout this time to effectively manage the increase together.
  • We have increased our staff (as we do during finals) to account for the proctoring load required in the coming weeks. We are monitoring exam volumes continuously throughout the day and we have staff on standby should we need them.

Support & Training for Faculty

We understand that moving to online learning can create challenges and requires more help from our support and training organizations. To meet this need, we have also ramped up support and will continue to do so as needed. In addition, we have same-day training available for institutions that need to train new faculty members. We want to make sure you have all the resources you need to be successful so no matter the need, we’ve got you! All you have to do is ask.

We know there’s a lot of information available to you and a lot of information coming at you. We want to be helpful and not add to the noise. We feel hopeful as we see the community coming together to share ideas, best practices and support. We are here to help when you need us.

Reach out to use to see how we can help you implement online proctoring in 2 days to protect exams and support your students and faculty during COVID

Set Up Proctoring in 2 Days

Tyler Stike

Tyler is Honorlock's Director of Content and a doctoral student at the University of Florida focused on educational technology.