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How to Create a Fair Test Environment With Educational Technology

Ultimately, educators and institutions want to create a better online learning experience for all students. And part of that experience includes creating a fair and equitable testing environment for every student.

We’ll look at four real-life situations and show you how to use innovative educational technology to provide a fair experience for your students.

Scenario 1: The student lives in a busy household

Scenario 2: Students in class have disabilities or conditions

Scenario 3: Religious attire and accessories are worn by students during an exam

Scenario 4: Some students have access to cell phones and additional devices

Example scenario 1: A student living in a busy household

If a student lives in a busy household, it can be difficult to take an online exam in a quiet environment with no other people around them.

This situation can cause anxiety for a student taking an online proctored exam because they probably assume that they’ll be flagged if a family member or roommate walks by the room.

Use LMS exam settings and online proctoring

Students can take the exam at any time

Honorlock’s online proctoring services are available anytime. This allows each student to take the exam at a time that works for them – such as when family members are at work.

Instructors can advise the proctor of accommodations for students

If the instructor is aware of the student’s situation, they can provide the live test proctor with accommodation instructions that allow other people to be in the room and to expect voices and sound.

The instructor can add the guidelines for specific students. With this approach, students won’t need to worry about being flagged if someone walks into the room.

Scenario 2: The student has a disability or condition

About 1 in 5 students have a disability according to the US Department of Education. Disabilities can include physical conditions, visual and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and other health conditions.

Use online proctoring, exam settings, and accessibletechnology

Allowing accommodations to meet student needs

As mentioned in scenario 1, the instructor can use innovative educational technology to provide specific accommodations for individual students.

Accommodations can vary but here are just a few examples allowing

  • Extended exam time limits and due dates
  • Bathroom breaks as needed
  • Other people in the room to assist the student
  • Assistive technology and devices to be used during the exam

Using platforms that integrate with assistive technology and devices

Assistive technology gives each student a fair opportunity to engage with all software and hardware in the course, regardless of their conditions and disabilities.

A few examples of assistive technology are:

  • Screen readers
  • Assistive keyboards
  • Dictation software (speech-to-text & text-to-speech software)

Honorlock’s online proctoring software is innovative educational technology that is fully ADA accessible and compliant with Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s also developed and tested to conform to WCAG 2.0 level AA guidelines for accessible use.

Scenario 3: Religious attire and accessories are worn by a student during the proctored exam

Students may choose to wear religious attire and accessories during the proctored exam, such as hats and head or face coverings. However, some online proctoring services may flag students for wearing religious attire, which can cause added stress for the student.

Use Honorlock’s online proctoring services and provide accommodations

Instructors can provide specific accommodations that allow students to wear religious attire during the proctored online exam. This way, students won’t have to worry about being flagged and they can focus on the exam.

Scenario 4: Students with access to multiple devices

If advanced remote proctoring isn’t in place, students can easily use their cell phones or other devices to look up test answers. And if exams are only proctored using AI, such as browser lockdown software, students can still use other devices. This situation creates unfair advantages for students who may have multiple devices.

Use online proctoring to detect cell phones and other devices

Honorlock’s online proctoring software can detect cell phones when students attempt to use them to access test bank content during the exam.

Our proctoring software collects and provides evidence by:

  • Capturing a screen recording and creating a flag in the exam report
  • Sending an audible sound through the secondary device that will be picked up by the student’s computer microphone and audible on the exam recording
  • Alerting a live test proctor to enter the test session and address the situation
  • Providing the evidence to the instructor within the Honorlock dashboard after the proctored exam

Additional ways Honorlock’s online proctoring software helps protect exams and support students

Combining AI test monitoring software and live remote proctors

Honorlock combines AI with human proctors to provide a better testing experience for students. Our approach to remote proctoring provides a less non-invasive test experience for the student because they aren’t constantly watched.

Our proctoring software monitors each student’s online exam session and alerts a live proctor if any potential academic dishonesty is detected. The live proctor can then use an analysis window to review the situation before entering the exam session via chat-box in real-time to address the situation.

Helping reduce student test anxiety

It’s easy to understand why students can experience test anxiety – especially in an online environment when there are potential technology concerns or it may be their first online exam. But in a recent student survey, Honorlock’s combination of AI and live proctors was shown to help reduce student test anxiety.

“The proctor popping in was different than I expected – in a positive way. I imagined them being more strict. I felt that the proctor was helpful and a lot less intimidating than I thought.” – Student quote in a post-exam interview

Training live proctors to support students during times of stress

To further support students, Honorlock’s full-time remote proctoring team received training by a nationally certified counselor and educator on providing students with help and support during moments of test anxiety and frustration.

This human-centric communication helps students build confidence in the process and with our remote proctors.

Detecting voices

Our online proctoring software listens for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri,” to identify students who may be attempting to gain an unfair advantage. If any voices are detected, the AI alerts a live remote proctor to enter the online exam session via chat to intervene and redirect the student.

Verifying student identity
Honorlock’s ID verification makes it quick and easy to ensure that the student taking the proctored exam is the student getting credit. The AI captures a picture of the student and their photo ID and they can begin the proctored online exam in about a minute.

Protecting test questions and answers
Faculty spend a lot of time creating test questions and answers only to find out that they’re being shared on the Internet. With Honorlock’s Search & Destroy(™) technology, instructors can know when their test questions are shared online and take actions to ensure their exams are fair and secure.

How does Honorlock’s Search and Destroy work?

1. Searches the Web
Searches the web to identify exam questions that have been shared online.

2. Instructors review results
Instructors can review results about exam questions that have been compromised.

3. Instructors take action
Instructors can choose to send content takedown requests (when applicable) and update their exam questions.

Providing in-depth reports

It’s important for instructors to understand student behavior and how they approach an exam. Honorlock’s online proctoring software collects extensive data during the exam and provides easy-to-read, actionable reports and time-stamped recordings within the LMS dashboard.

“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

Securing third-party exams

Honorlock’s remote proctoring software allows faculty to protect third-party exams outside the LMS on platforms such as MyMathLab, ALEKS, Pearson, and McGraw Hill.

When done right, remote proctoring creates a better testing experience.

Honorlock’s approach to remote proctoring focuses on keeping the human touch by doing what’s best for the institution and the student.

Our purpose is much more than catching students who are cheating – we strive to create a testing experience that supports honesty and integrity in a non-invasive, fair, and equitable testing environment.

Submit your email below to download our 5-part DEI eBook

Part 1: Addressing the need for DEI in online education

Part 2: Strategies to develop diverse, equitable, and inclusive online courses

Part 3: How to create accessible online courses (with real examples)

Part 4: Tips to improve your connection with students in an online learning environment

Part 5: How to use educational technology to create a fair testing environment