How to Create a Culture of Academic Integrity

Punishing students for cheating vs encouraging academic integrity

How do cybercriminals get access to these credentials?

But academic dishonesty isn’t always black and white.

There are complexities and nuances that require a shift in the way we think about academic dishonesty.

With this shift, incidents of alleged cheating can be a learning opportunity, and you may even see a decrease in the amount of dishonesty in your courses.

This article will:

  • Highlight the language we use when discussing academic dishonesty
  • Discuss the reasons why students cheat
  • Show you practical alternatives to punishment that can help improve academic integrity

What is academic dishonesty?

Academic dishonesty means actions and behaviors, whether intended or not, that provide unfair advantages in an educational environment. It applies to everyone involved in teaching and learning, not just students. While academic dishonesty is a broad term, it can include things like:
  • Cheating on an exam
  • Plagiarizing an essay
  • Lying and fabricating information
  • Helping others cheat

In contrast, academic integrity is a code of ethics for students and others involved in the teaching and learning process to follow in their courses, exams, and overall behavior. Students should complete their own assignments, take their own exams, and earn their own grades.

Why do students cheat?

Students may cheat for any number of reasons, such as pressure from rising expectations, competitiveness, or even just opportunity.

But one thing that has significantly influenced students cheating is technology.

Technology provides quick and easy access to resources that help them gain an unfair advantage and curtail the learning process. Whether it’s finding leaked test content on the internet, asking Siri or Alexa for help during a test, and even having AI write essays for them, technology creates more opportunities to cheat.

Punishing students for cheating vs encouraging integrity

A common response to academic dishonesty is punishment.

But punishment is reactive, not proactive.

Students are only punished after cheating occurs. While it’s true that punishment can be seen as a deterrent, instructors should focus on improving academic integrity instead of punishing bad behavior.

Have groups of students work through scenario-based case studies

Create case studies with realistic academic dishonesty scenarios and have students work through them in groups.

By participating in these case studies as a group, students can have honest conversations about decision making and what they would do in very real situations with varying stressors and conditions. Practicing applied decision-making helps set the framework for upholding academic integrity in and out of the classroom.

By opening the door to dialogue about academic dishonesty and what constitutes cheating, you can create an environment where students are clear about course standards and what is and isn’t acceptable.

Communicate and develop a genuine connection with your students

The ability to communicate effectively and connect with your students can have a significant impact on your classroom.

But connecting with students takes more than learning their first names. You should make a real effort to learn about your students. Ask about their interests, goals, and hobbies – you may even have some things in common.

And tell them about yourself, apply emotional intelligence, be inclusive, encourage open communication, and be consistent.

In other words: make yourself human.

Rather than simply telling students, “Don’t cheat – or else,” have an open dialogue with them and infuse the importance of academic integrity in your communication efforts. This authentic effort to connect can go a long way to help support your efforts to improve academic integrity.

What’s all this have to do with Honorlock?

Honorlock takes a human-centered approach in everything we do.

Our approach to online proctoring is different because we strive to encourage positive decision making in a supportive environment rather than catching students cheating.

Honorlock test proctors are trained by a certified counselor and undergo rigorous training and shadowing – all to ensure they’re able to observe, intervene, and redirect student behavior in the testing environment. We even conducted a student survey with a university customer that showed our approach to online proctoring reduced student test anxiety.

Our proctors assume that students want to demonstrate knowledge, not cheat. Honorlock aligns with the goals of higher education to create a fair test environment and culture based on integrity.

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Jordan Walsh

Jordan has six year of experience in higher education and ed tech. She focuses on creating digestible and interactive content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

AI + Human Proctoring for Securing Nontraditional Exams

Tips for proctoring alternative assessment activities and nontraditional exams

Educational technology continues to evolve, and so has the ability to offer alternative test formats in an online environment. These alternative tests, sometimes referred to as authentic assessments or nontraditional exams, include test-takers:

  • Using software, like Excel, to complete a task
  • Conducting virtual presentations and demonstrations
  • Writing essays and completing math problems by hand

Obviously, these alternative assessment activities are more complex than traditional test formats, so how can you protect academic integrity and create a level playing field?

AI is one option. But AI isn’t always perfect; it still needs human review to ensure accuracy and create a customized, improved testing experience for both test-takers and faculty.

In this article, we’ll show you how to combine AI with human review to proctor these alternative testing situations:
  • Using software to complete tasks: test-takers use Excel to prepare a balance sheet during an accounting test.
  • Conducting virtual presentations/demonstrations: test-takers complete a presentation and demonstrate how to use a related tool.
  • Completing questions using pen and paper: test-takers review a financial-related case study and then complete a handwritten essay and a budgeting math problem.

1. Using software to complete tasks

Test-takers use Excel to prepare a balance sheet during an online accounting test.

Control access to other websites and applications

For this example, students need access to Excel, but you’ll still need to make sure that they can’t access other applications and websites.

You can use a browser guard, which is a basic proctoring feature, to allow specific applications, such as Excel, calculators, and even particular websites, while still preventing access to other sites and applications. In addition, the browser guard can also prevent test-takers from copying and pasting, which ensures that they haven’t copied a formula over to the balance sheet.

Record screens during the test

The test-takers’ screens can be recorded throughout the test and reviewed by faculty to see how students completed their work and where they made errors.

Use the webcam to scan the room for unauthorized resources and monitor behavior

Prior to the test, test-takers use their webcam to scan the test room for unauthorized resources, such as notes and cell phones. The AI also monitors behavior, such as a student exiting the screen or if someone else is in the room.

But in some cases, you may want to allow certain resources during the exam, such as calculators and assistive devices, or other people in the room for test-taker accommodations. To do so, you’ll simply give instructions to the live human proctor that indicate those resources are allowed, and students won’t be unnecessarily flagged or interrupted during the test.

2. Conducting virtual presentations and demonstrations

Test-takers complete a presentation and demonstrate how to use a related tool.

Get a transcript of the presentation

Along with recording behavior with the webcam, the AI can detect voices and provide a transcript of what was said during the presentation and demonstration. This is especially helpful for saving review time and for faculty who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In addition to getting a full transcript of what was said, the AI also listens for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” and words from a custom list provided by the instructor, such as “help me,” or “what’s the answer?”

But here’s where AI with human review is key for more complex situations.

What if the test-taker says a phrase that triggers a flag, but they aren’t cheating?

For example: a test-taker, in response to a question, says aloud, “OK, Google was founded in 1998 and Microsoft Bing was founded in 2009, so that means Google is 11 years older.”

When AI triggers for “OK Google,” a live proctor is alerted and can review the situation in an analysis window. And when the proctor reviews, they’ll be able to determine that the test-taker wasn’t cheating, and there’s no reason to intervene and interrupt them.

Scan the room and monitor student behavior

As previously described, the webcam can be used to make sure that unauthorized resources, such as notes with talking points for the presentation, aren’t being used.

If test-takers are required to demonstrate how to use a device, you can provide the human proctor with instructions to allow the specified device to be used during the test activity.

Record the presentation and demonstration

The AI uses the webcam to record the presentation for instructor review.

The recording and reports also timestamp suspicious behavior, such as the person exiting the screen.

Provide accommodations that allow assistive technology and alternative options to complete test activities

Some test-takers may have speech disorders or physical disabilities that make it difficult for them to complete a presentation or demonstration.

Instructors can provide test-takers with accommodations to help them successfully complete the test activity.

Accommodations can be used to allow test-takers with the ability to use assistive technology to complete the presentation. For example, if the person has a speech disorder, accommodations can allow them to use text-to-speech technology as an alternative way to complete the activity.

Similarly, test-takers with physical disabilities may not be able to demonstrate how a device is used. In this situation, an accommodation can allow the person to complete the demonstration on their computer by using an assistive mouse, for example. To complete the demonstration, the person would use the assistive mouse to point to specific parts of the device while speaking or typing with an assistive keyboard to explain how it works.

In addition to these accommodations for specific test-takers, accommodations can be more general, such as allowing bathroom breaks during longer proctored exams.

3. Completing test questions using pen and paper

Test-takers review a financial-related case study and then complete a handwritten essay and a budgeting math problem.

Test settings, proctor instructions, and test rules/instructions are crucial for proctored online exams that involve handwritten components.

Use proctoring settings to reduce flagging

For handwritten test responses, you can enable “Scratch Paper Allowed” and the proctoring AI won’t flag a student for looking down at their paper.

Test rules and instructions for students

The instructor provides test rules and instructions that require the student to use white paper and a black or dark blue pen. In addition, they can require the test-taker to show the blank paper before they start writing and before/after each math problem.

After test-takers complete the handwritten test activity, they can upload the written work, notes, and scratch paper to the LMS.

Additional benefits of online proctoring that combines AI with human review

Streamlines the exam review process for instructors

Using a combination of AI and live test proctors saves instructors time when reviewing results. After the proctored exams are completed, instructors can access easy-to-read reports and time-stamped recordings within the LMS.

This way, instructors can focus more on teaching instead of reviewing.

Better insights are provided from comprehensive data and feedback

The AI continually learns by collecting data from several areas, such as potential academic dishonesty and suspicious behavior, feedback from human test proctors, and information from instructors.

The online proctoring AI uses this information to learn and adapt to provide instructors and institutions with better insights about online assessments and what behavior is important or unimportant.

Helps reduce student test anxiety

Taking a proctored online exam can be nerve-racking for students, especially if a live proctor is watching them the entire time; it’s invasive testing experience that causes unnecessary stress.

The good news is that online proctoring solutions like Honorlock combine AI with humans to create a non-invasive test environment that can help reduce student test anxiety. With Honorlock’s blended proctoring solution, AI doesn’t make decisions about potentially dishonest student behavior; it flags a potential incident so that the human proctor can review and intervene to assess the situation if necessary. Only the instructor and institution make decisions about academic dishonesty.

If Honorlock’s AI detects potential academic dishonesty, it alerts a live test proctor who can review the situation in an analysis window before deciding to intervene.

Click here to set up a conversation with Honorlock to see how we can help your institution make online proctoring simple, easy, and human.

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

Improving Online Proctoring by Combining AI with Humans

How to improve online proctoring by combining AI and humans

Many areas of online education and educational technologies benefit from AI and machine learning, including online proctoring. Although AI is advancing every day, it still needs human oversight to maximize its capabilities.

But before we show you how combining AI with humans improves online proctoring, we’ll summarize what it is and how it works. If you’re familiar with online proctoring, skip to the next section.

Online proctoring, sometimes called remote proctoring and proctored testing, protects academic integrity by using AI software and/or humans to monitor behavior during online assessments.

Generally speaking, online proctoring is accomplished in a few ways: 

  • Fully automated proctoring (only uses AI to monitor behavior)
  • Live proctoring (only humans monitor behavior)
  • Blended proctoring (monitors behavior with a combination of AI and humans)

It depends on the type of online proctoring used. For example, automated proctoring can include browser lockdown software, which is limited, but it can cover a few aspects of exam protection. 

In contrast, blended proctoring solutions are more flexible and used for traditional assessment formats and nontraditional alternative assessment formats, like virtual presentations/demonstrations, handwritten essays and math problems, and using industry software to complete activities.

Online proctoring is used to create a fair test environment and protect academic integrity.

While most assume that online proctoring is just a way to prevent cheating, some services can improve the entire testing experience for everyone.

In this article, we’ll show you how online proctoring that combines AI with machine learning and human proctors can improve online assessments by reducing distractions and test anxiety, providing better exam insights, and streamlining review.

Three ways combining AI with human oversight improves online proctoring and the testing experience:

1. AI + human proctors creates a better test experience with fewer distractions Fewer distractions mean that test takers can better focus on their exams. However, some proctoring solutions can trigger unnecessary flags that disrupt test takers because they’re overly sensitive. The downside for admins is that those flags take extra time during review. Many behaviors can trigger flags during an exam, such as an exam taker talking to themselves while working through a test question. In general, most proctoring AI can detect sounds, but some have the ability to intelligently detect voices. The terms “sound detection” and “voice detection” are often used interchangeably, but they impact the test experience in different ways.
  • Sound detection may trigger a flag for basically any sound, such as a doorbell ringing, a dog barking, and coughing.
  • Voice detection flags specific keywords and phrases, such as “OK Google” or “Hey Siri.” Exam admins can add custom lists of words and phrases that the AI listens for, such as, “What’s the answer?”

While AI voice detection is advanced, it can still be tricky in certain situations. What if the test taker says a keyword that triggers a flag, but they aren’t actually cheating?

For example:

  • “OK Google” is used as a keyword that triggers a flag.
  • During the test, the test taker says, “OK, Google was founded in 1998, so it’s older than Microsoft Bing.”

So, the AI does its job here, but review from a live proctor is key.

When AI voice detection triggers for “OK Google,” it alerts the live proctor, who can review the situation in an analysis window and determine that the test taker wasn’t cheating, so intervention isn’t required.

2. Provides flexibility to proctor alternative assessment formats and activities

AI works well for most traditional assessment formats, like multiple-choice and true-or-false questions.

But, what if exam administrations want to assess presentation abilities, which includes a demonstration?

Combining AI test monitoring with human proctors is crucial to protecting alternative assessment activities.

For this example, AI monitors for things like other people or prohibited resources in the room, voices, and the use of restricted browsers.

However, during non-traditional assessment activities, like presentations, exam admins may want to allow specific resources, such as notecards or a whiteboard.

Exam admins can adjust settings before the assessment, decide which proctoring features to use, and provide proctor instructions for further customization. Proctor instructions can provide information, such as resources permitted during the assessment and specific accommodations that provide bathroom breaks and assistive technologies, for example.

Example: The assessment requires test takers to complete math problems using a pen and paper.

The admin asks the proctor to turn on “Scratch Paper Allowed” so that test taker aren’t flagged for looking down at their papers.

Further instructions can require test takers to use specific items (blank white paper and a black or blue pen) and that they must show the paper before and after each problem is completed.

This combination of AI with human oversight is important because it provides the flexibility to proctor complex alternative assessments while reducing interruptions and flags to review.

3. Provides data feedback that makes AI smarter and streamlines reviews

AI can collect data from several areas, such as potential violations and suspicious behavior, feedback from human proctors, and input from exam administrators.

This comprehensive collection of data helps the online proctoring AI continually learn and adapt to provide individual organizations and exam admins with better insights about their online assessments. In other words, the AI makes more accurate correlations between specific behaviors that can indicate academic dishonesty and those that are false flags due to oversensitivity or other factors.

This helps proctors and exam admins focus on important behaviors and situations related to academic dishonesty and streamlines the review rather than being bogged down by reviewing unimportant flags.

Honorlock Online Proctoring

What is Honorlock?

Honorlock is an online proctoring service that monitors online assessments with AI combined with live test proctors. Our approach makes online proctoring simple, easy, and human.

How does Honorlock work?
Honorlock’s online proctoring AI monitors the exam session and alerts a live proctor if it detects any potential suspicious behavior. The live proctor can then review the situation in an analysis window before deciding to intervene.

This blend of AI and human review provides a less intimidating and non-invasive proctored assessment experience because they aren’t constantly watched as they take their exam.

In fact, a survey about test anxiety showed that Honorlock’s approach to online proctoring actually helped reduce test anxiety.

Honorlock features and benefits:

  • No scheduling needed because proctored exams can be taken 24/7/365
  • Live, US-based support is available on-demand 24/7/365
  • Integrates with your LMS in an hour
  • Use Intelligent Voice Detection
  • Can detect cell phones
  • Allows proctoring on third-party exam platforms
  • Provides easy-to-read, time-stamped reports and recordings
  • Finds leaked test content and provides steps to take action
  • Offers a flat-rate cost per exam or per exam taker
  • Secures and protects data
  • Verifies ID in about a minute

Get in touch to see how Honorlock makes online proctoring better.

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How to Write Better Test Questions (Tips With Examples)

Article to help instructors write better exam questions

With so many types of test questions, which should you use on your online tests?

We’ll show you how to write better test questions and when to use them. Click the bullet below to skip to that section.

Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple-choice questions are very common for online tests. They generally consist of a question with three or more answers to choose from – one is the correct answer, and the others are “distractors.”

When to use multiple-choice test questions

Multiple-choice questions are extremely versatile and can be used for practically any subject and situation, such as:

  • Associating & Comparing
  • Terms & Definitions
  • Problem-solving
  • Recalling Concepts & Information
  • Vocabulary

Parts of a multiple-choice question

Tips for writing multiple-choice test questions

1. Don’t use “all of the above” or “none of the above” as choices
These statements make it easier to guess the answer.
  • “All of the above” means that a student just needs to identify two of the correct choices to get the answer right.
  • “None of the above” doesn’t mean that the student knows the correct answer – just that they can recognize wrong answers.
2. Answers shouldn’t overlap

Answers should be independent of one another, with no overlap.

Less Effective

More Effective

3. Remove any element of subjectivity

Less Effective

More Effective

In the less effective example, the student is left with three acceptable but subjective answers to a broad question. The use of “best” is subjective. The best feature for some can be irrelevant to others.
4. One subject per question
5. Don’t give away answers with the wording or structure of the question

Small mistakes can give away the correct answer, even with no context of the subject.

Question Format

The example above includes three lines, which gives away the answer of New York City because the other options are two words or less.

Sentence and Answer Format – Titles

Even with no context of the event or the potential attendees, you can probably guess the correct answer based on the titles before the blanks and the order of the names.

For this question, a simple way to improve it is to remove the title before the blank.

Word Format – Plural and Singular

Since the company purchased 500, that inherently means that the correct answer will be plural, which excludes option A, which is written in a singular format.

Aside from using a consistent plural/singular format for each answer, you could also create answers that account for both singular and plural options:
e.g., Computer(s); Webcam(s)

True-or-False Questions

When to use true-or-false test questions

True-or-false questions may seem simplistic, but when used correctly, they can effectively test in-depth understanding of information through:

  • Analyzing items and statements
  • Recall of information & concepts
  • Surveys & feedback
  • Terms & definitions

However, writing true-or-false questions can be tricky because small word choices can change the meaning of a statement.

Tips for writing true-or-false test questions

Statements must be 100% true or 100% false
Leave no room for interpretation or subjectivity. Each statement should be explicitly true or false. Less Effective
More Effective

The less effective example implies that water may sometimes include elements other than hydrogen and oxygen.

 

Small words choices can completely change the meaning of the message

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs can help describe the possibility, ability, intent, and necessity of a main verb.

Examples of modal verbs: can, may, could, should, would.

Here’s how a modal verb can change a sentence:

  • No modal: I run every day.
  • With modal: I can run every day.
Running every day and having the ability to run every day are two very different things. Having the ability to run every day doesn’t mean that you do run every day.
  • The example with no modal states a fact: the person runs every day.
  • The example with a modal verb states that the person is capable (can) of running every day, not that they do.

Absolute words

Similar to modal verbs, absolute words can change the meaning of a sentence entirely.

Examples of absolute words: never, always, all, must

Here’s where you have to consider if something is absolutely 100% correct or if it’s just a general statement.

  • With absolute: The man never goes running.
  • Without absolute: The man rarely goes running.

Which sentence is truly accurate?

Does the man literally never run, or is it just rare that he runs?

Note: Some sentences can include both modal and absolute words, which can cause confusion for the student.
e.g.: The man usually never goes running.

Watch for double negatives

Double negatives make a test question confusing for anyone.

Example of a double negative used in a true-or-false statement:

  • Less effective statement: The man was not unhappy that the rain stopped.
  • More effective statement: The man was happy that the rain stopped.

The less effective example is confusing, right? The first negative word in that sentence is “not” and the second negative is the prefix “un.” When you combine the two negatives, “not unhappy” is canceled out and changes to a positive.

Fill-in-the-blank Questions

Fill-in-the-blank test questions provide an objective way to measure true understanding of the answer rather than recognizing the answer to a multiple-choice question when they see it.

 

When to use fill-in-the-blank questions

  • Terms & Definitions
  • Problem-solving
  • Recalling concepts & information
  • Vocabulary

Tips for writing fill-in-the-blank questions

Don’t start a statement with a blank

Blanks should be included toward the end of the statement instead of the beginning.

Less Effective
More Effective
Make sure the statement and answer grammatically align
Less Effective
(Correct answer: bridge)
More Effective
The article “an” before the blank space usually indicates that the answer starts with a vowel, which is confusing because the answer doesn’t start with a vowel. Don’t use too many blank spaces Too many blank spaces can overwhelm students and potentially lead to incorrect answers.

Written Test Questions

Written test questions can be more time-consuming to review, but they’re an effective way to allow students to expand their thoughts and tie-in other concepts.

When to use written test questions

  • Associating & comparing
  • Authentic assessment
  • Terms & definitions
  • Problem-solving
  • Recalling concepts & information
  • Vocabulary
  • Student feedback

Tips for better written test questions

Intentionally frame your questions based on the goal

  • Less effective: “Discuss the benefits of process-improvement methodologies”
  • More effective: “Compare the benefits of Six Sigma and Agile to determine which methodology is the best option for a software company.”

Words to help frame the purpose of your essay question:

  • Group/Classify/Categorize
  • Compare and contrast
  • In your own words, define
  • List five ways to
  • Define
  • Summarize
Words and phrases to avoid when creating an essay question:
  • Discuss
  • Detail
  • Speak to/about

Use blind grading (anonymous grading)

Blind grading, sometimes called anonymous grading, can help remove grading bias because students submit their tests without a name or number. You can set this up in most modern LMSes by turning on anonymous grading at the course level. Doing so will hide the students’ names before grading and automatically distribute the test score back to them.

For longer essay questions, focus on broad topics

Instead of focusing on one
specific item for a longer written response, focus on larger topics. This approach allows students to demonstrate complex understanding by associating items across a broad range of topics.

Provide the same questions to all students

Instead of listing four essay questions and requiring students to answer two, just provide two questions. This approach helps consistently measure student performance and ensure fairness during grading.

Set expectations and prepare students

Good response vs poor response

Give examples of what makes a good response or poor response. What aspects should be addressed? What can make or break an answer?

Technical information

Give students context about time limits, general response length, how to get support, etc.

Detail the formatting expectations

Typed responses: Tell students what fonts should be used, which processor (Word Doc, Google Docs, etc.), what font types to use, font sizes, and line spacing.

Hand-written responses: Tell students what type of paper to use, pen color, and any other details that will help ensure that they’re on track.

Did you know you can use online proctoring for hand-written test questions?

Instructors can provide instructions to the remote proctor to allow students to use a pen and paper. You can even require that students show their work at certain intervals throughout their response.

Matching Test Questions

Matching test questions are an effective way to test knowledge in a variety of scenarios that cover a large amount of content.

When to use matching test questions
  • Terms and definitions
  • Scenarios and responses
  • Causes and effects
  • Parts and functions
  • Vocabulary
Layout example:
Tips for creating matching test questions
Include more answers than prompts

Using more answers than prompts removes the ability for students to answer by process of elimination.

Structure and format shouldn’t give away the answer

Avoiding this problem can be especially tricky in matching-test questions. In the example below, number two is relatively easy to guess because the answer includes the first name. Resolve by removing “female” from number two and/or removing the first names from the answers.

Prompts/answers shouldn’t be vague

In the example below, you can see that in the less effective example, the prompts are vague and most answers could apply to a few different prompts.

Less Effective
More Effective

 

  • Largest animal on the farm: This question comes down to a cow or a horse. But what type? That impacts the answer.
  • Domesticated animal: The go-to responses are both dogs and cats, but some people consider any farm animal “domesticated.”
  • Mostly carnivore: Again, the go-to responses are both dogs and cats, but pigs can also consume mostly meat.

Rank-and-Order Questions

These questions ask students to rank or order a list of items based on chronological order of dates, steps, or level of importance. They’re especially dynamic because students can respond in a few ways that combine with other question types, such as the student dragging and dropping numbers into the correct order or matching a step with the correct order.

 

When to use rank-and-order test questions
  • Chronological order of events
  • Steps to complete a task
  • Understanding the importance of an item
How to write rank-and-order test questions
Keep questions and items on the list focused

If a student has to chronologically order 15 historical events, they may get overwhelmed before they even start.

Instead, divide the 15 events into three sets of five events.

Give context about what’s highest or lowest, first or last, best or worst, most important or least important.

  • Less effective: Rank the importance of work-life balance from 1-10.
  • More effective: Rank the importance of work-life balance according to the survey from the ABC Company case study. 1 is the most important ranking. 10 is the least important.

Tip: Use ranking questions as a tool to gather student feedback

You can use them to gather general course feedback or provide very specific questions based on activities.

General Rank Question
Specific-Activity Question

 

Authentic Assessment

What is Authentic Assessment?

Authentic assessment is becoming increasingly popular because, rather than simply recalling information, students are actually completing real-world tasks and activities that demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.

 

Examples of authentic assessment uses in an online classroom
  • Virtual presentations and demonstrations using a webcam
  • Completing a project using industry software
  • Creating a portfolio of work
  • Game-based activities
  • Essays
  • Course participation in debates and discussions
Tips for creating authentic assessments
  1. Write a 1-2 sentence summary that identifies the key objectives of the assessment
  2. Divide the summary sentence into separate parts
  3. Create a list of what students should know for each section
  4. Determine which authentic assessment tasks and activities students can complete to demonstrate their knowledge
  5. Pick which assessment activities to use and create a detailed rubric
Here’s an example of how to create an authentic assessment:
1-2 sentence summary of key objectives of the assessment

Students will demonstrate understanding of the human skeletal system and basic knowledge of joints.

Divide the summary sentence into separate parts

Students will demonstrate understanding of the human skeletal system and basic knowledge of joints.

Students will demonstrate:
Part 1: Understanding of the human skeletal system
Part 2: Basic knowledge of joints

Create a list of what students should know for each section

Part 1: In-depth
understanding of the human skeletal system

  • The name of each bone in the skeletal system
  • The five types of bones

Part 2: Basic knowledge of joints

 

  • Name and an overview of each joint type
  • Basic anatomy of a joint and how it works
Determine the tasks and activities students can complete to demonstrate their knowledge

Here are potential activities for Part 1 of this authentic assessment example:

Part 1: In-depth understanding of the human skeletal system
The name of each bone in the skeletal system

  • Video recording: Identify each bone in the skeletal system by pointing to it on an illustration or small replica of a skeleton.
  • Game-based activity: Play a matching game on [website/software] of the name to the appropriate bone in the skeletal system.

The five types of bones

 

  • Written – short answers: Summarize each type of bone (250 words or less for each).
  • Video recording: Identify the five types of bones, explain the differences, and point to three examples of each type on the skeleton illustration or small replica.
Pick the assessment activities to use and then create activity descriptions and rubrics

After you decide which activities students will complete, create detailed activity descriptions and rubrics for each portion of the assessment.

Example authentic assessment activity description

For this example, the instructor asks students to record a video of themselves identifying each bone in the skeletal system by pointing to it on an illustration or small replica of a skeleton.

Description: Use your webcam to record a video where you’ll identify each bone in the skeletal system by pointing to an unlabeled illustration or a small replica.

  • To identify the bone, use a pen or pencil as your pointer. The pointer will help clearly identify the bone you are selecting.
  • After you point to the specific bone, clearly state the name of the bone using its correct pronunciation.
  • You will identify each bone in different sections of the skeleton, starting with the top of the skull and progressively working your way down.

The order of sections will be:

  1. Skull
  2. Shoulder girdle
  3. Torso
  4. Arm
  5. Hand
  6. Pelvic Girdle
  7. Leg 
  8. Foot
Provide a rubric for the assessment activity that details how it will be graded and the associated points, as you’ll see in the example below.

Overall online testing tips for instructors

Keep accessibility in mind for each assessment activity

Are there other ways students can complete each activity regardless of their disability or condition?If the assessment activity involves a spoken component, how can students with speech impairments complete it?
Are all technologies in your online course compatible with assistive technology?
Do the LMS, third-party platforms, and online proctoring software integrate with assistive technology?

What resources do students need to complete the activities?
Can every student afford a webcam/microphone? If not, do they have access to resources on campus?

Use online proctoring to create a fair test environment

While online tests are convenient, they can also pose challenges to protecting academic integrity.

Students can use cell phones or other browsers to look up test answers, use their notes, or even have another person take the exam for them.

Online exam proctoring can help deter and prevent students from cheating by:
  • Detecting cell phone use
  • Identifying when test questions have been leaked on the internet
  • Monitoring student behavior with video
  • Verifying student ID
  • Detecting voices and sounds
  • Providing instructors with detailed reporting and recordings

In addition to the benefits listed above, Honorlock’s online proctoring solution combines AI software with live human proctors to protect academic integrity while still supporting students and faculty.

Our AI monitors each student’s exam session and alerts a live proctor to join the session if it detects any potential academic dishonesty.

This blend of AI and human review delivers a less intimidating and non-invasive proctored testing experience for the student because they aren’t constantly being watched.

Create clear test rules and instructions

Along with creating effective test questions, you need to make test rules and instructions that are clear and concise. Both are equally important to your students’ success and testing experience.

Here are some examples of what to do and not do when you make test rules and instructions

Explicitly state what students can and cannot do

  • Don’t do: Don’t talk with your friends or family during the test.
  • Do: No talking during all tests.
  • In the “Don’t do” example, the student may think: “my classmate isn’t really my friend or family, so it’s okay to talk to them for help.”
  • Don’t do: No other devices can be on your desk during this test.
  • Do: Remove all other electronic devices from the testing room/area, such as cell phones, tablets, ereaders, computers, smart watches.
  • In the “Don’t do” example, the student may think: If my cell phone is in my lap, it’s technically not on my desk.
Tell students what to expect

Provide details about time limits, number of attempts, and how to get support.

If the test is remotely proctored, explain what that means for students:

“We prepare students ahead of time by giving them an orientation at the beginning of the program with a module dedicated to online proctoring with Honorlock,” – Jill Simpson, PhD, Assistant Professor and Instructional Technologist at University of North Alabama

Use frequent practice tests to help reduce test anxiety
Along with not knowing what to expect, a main cause of student test anxiety is related to concerns about technology. “My professor set up a practice test the week before the first real test. The practice test listed out all of her expectations and requirements. On my first real exam, I was fully prepared for the online proctoring experience since I knew what to expect.” – Student quote in a post-exam student test anxiety survey interview
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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How to Proctor Online Authentic Assessments

How to proctoring online authentic assessments

Many believe authentic assessments are best for in-person classes, but they’re just as useful in online courses – but there are still challenges.

How would you prevent students from cheating in these situations?

A nursing student is recording a video demonstration about how to take blood pressure

  • What if they have instructions on their desk or a classmate in the room showing them what to do next?​

An accounting student is preparing a balance sheet in Excel​

  • What if they copy and paste formulas or search the internet for help?​
The good news is that online proctoring can be used to prevent cheating during authentic assessments and we’ll show you how for these assessment activities:

Using online proctoring for authentic assessments

For each example in this article, we’ll assume the instructor is using an online proctoring solution that combines AI software and live proctors.

This type of online proctoring allows instructors to prevent cheating by verifying ID, monitoring behavior, detecting cell phone use and voices, identifying leaked test content, and more.

Click here to skip to the online proctoring features overview section of this article.

Authentic assessment video presentations and demonstrations

In this example, students use their webcam to record themselves:
  • Holding a tool and identifying the parts
  • Demonstrating how the tool actually works
  • Presenting one idea they have to improve the tool

Example: A nursing student identifies the parts of a stethoscope, demonstrates how it works, and presents one way they believe it can be improved.

How to use proctoring for online presentations and demonstrations

Detect voices and get a transcript of what was said

The AI proctoring software can detect voices and provide the instructor with a transcript of what the student said during the assessment presentation. This can help save time when checking for certain topics without watching the whole video.

The AI software also listens for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” and words from a custom list provided by the instructor, such as “help me,” or “what’s the answer?”

If the AI detects any potential dishonesty, it alerts a live remote proctor to pop into the online assessment session to intervene and redirect the student.

Scan the room and monitor student behavior

If the instructor wants to make sure that students aren’t using any notes or resources during the assessment, they can require students to complete a room scan and the AI proctoring software monitors student behavior throughout the assessment to detect potential dishonesty.

Record the presentation/demonstration

The AI proctoring software records the entire presentation for the instructor to watch. The recording also includes timestamps of any suspicious behavior to review.

Group presentation authentic assessments

Example: Three students in different locations record a group presentation using a video conferencing platform.

How to use remote proctoring for group presentations

Much of this process is the same as recording an individual student’s presentation.
Instructors can use remote proctoring to verify each student’s ID, scan the room for additional notes and resources, record the presentation video, and to get a transcript of what the students said during the presentation.

The instructor would just review the audio and video of the presentation from one student in the group.

Authentic assessment essays (typed and handwritten)

Example: Students write an essay by hand or they can type it in an online word processor, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

How to use online proctoring for essays and written test questions

Allow handwritten essays

Some students may be more comfortable with handwriting their essay. Handwritten essays can be allowed by providing the live proctor with specific settings, instructions, and test rules.

Proctoring setting

The instructor turns on Scratch Paper Allowed and the AI won’t flag a student for looking down at their paper.

The student would simply show the blank paper before they start writing and upload the written essay after they complete it.

Test rules and instructions for students

The instructor provides test rules and instructions that require the student to use white paper and a black or dark blue pen.

Use a browser guard to only allow access to specific sites

The instructor provides a list of specific browser-based word processors that students can access to type their written response, such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

After students complete the essay, there are workflows in the LMS for uploading written work, notes, and scratch paper.

Detect when students use their cell phones to look up test answers

Some online proctoring software can detect when students attempt to use their cell phones or other devices to access test bank content during the exam.

Verify student ID

The webcam is used to verify student ID in about a minute so that instructors can be sure that the student completing the assessment is the one getting credit for it.

Authentic assessment math problems using pen and paper

Example: Students read the math problems on the online assessment and use scratch paper to complete the math problem.

How to proctor math problems completed by hand using pen and paper

Proctoring math problems that are answered using pen and paper will be similar to the process for handwritten essays.
In addition to verifying ID, scanning the room, monitoring behavior, and detecting cell phones, specific settings and instructions can be used to proctor online math problems.

To help keep the review process organized, the instructor can provide specific instructions for students to follow such as:

  • Only use black or dark blue pen and blank white paper
  • Only answer one question per side of paper
  • Before you begin answering the question, hold the blank paper up to the camera
  • Clearly write the question number in the top left corner of the paper
  • Show your work after your complete each question
  • To show your work, hold the piece of paper up to the camera for three seconds after you complete each question
  • If you need to redo your work, hold the piece of paper up for the question you’re redoing, cross out your answer, start your new work on a blank piece of paper and repeat the steps

Authentic assessment requiring the use of real-world software

Example: Accounting students must prepare their own balance sheet from scratch using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

How to use online exam proctoring for assessment activities using real-world software

Use a browser guard to prevent access to other websites

A browser guard is a quick way to prevent students from opening new windows, tabs, or applications. It can also be used to only allow specific URLs during the online authentic assessment.

Record students’ screens during the assessment activity for review

The students’ screens can be recorded throughout the assessment activity and the instructor can watch the videos to see how students completed it.

Record audio for an “explainer video”

In addition to recording students’ screens during the assessment activity, instructors can also record audio. This way, instructors can watch the student complete the activity and the student can explain what they’re doing and why.

As previously mentioned, the audio recording also comes with a transcript of what the student said during the recording.

Similar to the authentic assessment activities mentioned earlier in this article, instructors can also verify ID, detect cell phone use, and complete a room scan.

Open book authentic assessments

Example: The assessment, or parts of the assessment, allow students to use specific books and resources in physical and electronic formats.

How to use online proctoring for open book test questions

Scan the room to ensure that only permitted resources are available

During the room scan, students can have instructor-permitted books in the testing area that they can use during the proctored authentic assessment.

Identify leaked test questions

Instructors can use technology to search the Internet to identify when test questions have been leaked. If any leaked test questions are found, instructors are given simple steps to take control of their exams’ integrity.

Only allow specific digital resources

Instructors can allow students to access specific digital resources during the proctored exam. The instructor simply adds the exact URLs of permitted sites in the exam setup.

Honorlock makes it easy to proctor online authentic assessments

Assessment recordings are time-stamped to streamline reviews

After the authentic assessment is complete, instructors can access actionable reports and time-stamped recordings within the LMS dashboard.

The reports include important information about student activity, such as potential violations and suspicious behavior, in an easy-to-read format to streamline the review process.

The direct LMS integration creates a familiar testing environment
Honorlock’s proctoring software integrates with the existing LMS, which creates a very familiar test experience for students and instructors.
  • Instructors create assessments just like they already do and then simply choose which online proctoring features to use
  • Students take the proctored assessment within the LMS like they’re accustomed to and get live support without leaving the assessment window
  • No extra passwords or logins needed
Students can take proctored authentic assessments 24/7/365 and get live support

Even though Honorlock makes things simple and easy, we still provide live support for students and faculty – any time, day or night.

Combines AI with human proctors which can help reduce student test anxiety

Honorlock’s AI monitors each student’s online assessment session and alerts a live, US-based proctor if any potential academic dishonesty is detected. The live proctor can then use an analysis window to review the situation before entering the assessment session via chat-box to address the situation and help the student get back on track.

This approach delivers a much less intimidating and non-invasive proctored testing experience for the student.

Detect cell phones and other devices

The ability to detect cell phones and other devices is especially important because most students have access to one or more devices. Honorlock’s online proctoring software can detect when students attempt to use their cell phone, tablet, and laptop to access test bank content during the authentic assessment.

Scan the testing environment

Before the authentic assessment begins, instructors can require students to scan the room and the desk area to ensure no unauthorized people or items are in the testing environment.

If the instructor would like the student to show certain items, such as blank scratch paper or a book, they can use the “Additional Instructions” section to detail what they’d like the student to do for the room scan.

Block access to websites and applications

Honorlock’s Browser Guard™ prevents and/or flags if the student attempts to open new windows or tabs or interacts with any other application on the desktop. It can also be used to only allow students to access specific websites while still blocking access to others.

Identify leaked test questions and take action to protect content

Honorlock’s Search & Destroy technology searches the internet to identify exam questions that have been shared online and if leaked exam questions are found, instructors are given simple steps to take control of their exams’ integrity.

Verify ID in about a minute

ID verification quick and simple with Honorlock. Our AI captures a picture of the student along with their photo ID. In about 60 seconds, students are able to begin their proctored online exam.

Detect voices and get transcripts

Our online exam proctoring software listens for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” or words from a dynamic list, such as “help me,” or “what’s the answer.” The AI then alerts a live remote proctor to pop into the online exam session via chat to intervene and redirect the student.

Additionally, Honorlock creates a written transcript whenever a voice is detected.

Read parts 1 & 2 of the authentic assessment series

Part 1: What is authentic assessment and how is it used in online courses?

Part 2: How to make online authentic assessments (with examples)

Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How Online Proctoring Benefits Higher Ed Roles

How online proctoring helps improve teaching and learning for different roles in higher education

Online exam proctoring helps improve online teaching and learning for five groups in higher ed:

  1. Students
  2. Instructors
  3. Distance & eLearning faculty
  4. Testing center directors
  5. Administration

Click the number above to skip to that section.

How proctoring online exams benefits students

Easy to use

Online proctoring software that directly integrates with the LMS creates a similar test environment because students take the proctored exam within the LMS just like they already do. The integration also means that students won’t need any extra logins or passwords.

“Students like that Honorlock launches directly out of Canvas, and that there is nothing that they have to do differently from what they are used to. It’s seamless and quick, and the equipment checks are faster than our previous solution, which improves the entire experience.”– Paula Rodriguez, former director of the University Testing Center at Colorado State University

 
Students can take online proctored exams 24/7 and get live support

Because it’s available 24/7/365, online proctoring also allows students to experience the flexibility of taking a test at a time best for them, often without needing to set an appointment at a testing center.

“Having access to customer support 24/7/365 is huge. Especially during times like this when students may be taking exams at any time of day. You want them to have access to someone who can troubleshoot with them.” – Daphnee St. Val, Senior Instructional Designer at Broward College

Helps reduce student test anxiety
Honorlock conducted a student survey with a university and found that the right online proctoring platform can help reduce student test anxiety, which is present in 64% of students.

Several safeguards Honorlock offers helped significantly, such as dispelling misconceptions about what could trigger a red flag and the ability to troubleshoot and alleviate technical concerns before starting the test.

Honorlock’s full-time remote proctoring team is trained to identify indicators of test anxiety, such as lip licking or touching the face, and they proactively interact with affected students using a reassuring set of talking points. 100% of students who interacted with a remote proctor said the interaction made them less anxious.

“I don’t get any complaints about it [from students]. They say it’s quick and easy, and once they start the exam, they don’t even notice that they’re being proctored, which helps to reduce test anxiety.” Dr. Juliette Mersiowsky, Former Director of Distance Education and Digital Education Collaborative at Longwood University

Helps solidify the validity of the program

Unfortunately, online learning can come with a downside if it isn’t valued as highly as in-person learning, and students don’t want the perceived value of their degree to fall if they elect to take a class remotely.

“Prioritizing adequate protections for remote testing through online proctoring confirms that an online degree holds the same weight as one where students took the classes in person,” said Jordan Adair, Vice President of Product for Honorlock.

How online proctoring benefits instructors

Class time can be spent teaching instead of testing

Any instructor will agree that there’s never enough time to cover all the material they’d like to present, which is why they value online testing’s ability to preserve educational hours.

“If instructors don’t have to deliver a test in class, that leaves time for another lecture or project they can explore together,” said Adair.

Quick and simple to use

Today’s educators are also often overrun with technological expectations, so it’s vital that the online proctoring platform is easy to use, quick to set up, and fully customizable.

As described earlier, Honorlock’s online exam proctoring software directly integrates with the existing LMS, which means it’s basically the same process for instructors to create exams. The only difference is that after they create the exam in the LMS like they already do, they’ll simply click to choose which proctoring features they want to use during the exam.

“I had 500 students in one class, but the first assessment with Honorlock went as smoothly as it possibly could have gone…Honorlock is an incredibly user-friendly platform – very intuitive,” Peter Burrell, Associate Professor at University of Cincinnati

Protects academic integrity

Instructors spend a lot of time creating exam content, and it’s extremely frustrating when that content is shared on the internet.

To help protect exam content, Honorlock’s Search & Destroy technology searches the web to identify exam questions that have been shared online, which allows instructors to take action by sending content takedown requests and updating exam questions.

Instructors also appreciate the features from proctoring solutions like Honorlock, such as:

  • Cell phone detection
  • Live proctors combined with AI
  • Voice detection
  • Browser locking
  • Time-stamped recordings and reports
  • ID verification

Provides insight into student behavior

Honorlock’s remote proctoring platform collects extensive data during the exam and provides actionable reports and time-stamped recordings within the LMS dashboard.

This means the instructor can save time by focusing on relevant student behavior and violations. The proctored exam reports appear in an easy-to-read format that includes relevant student activity such as violations and any suspicious behavior.

“It was also a means to detect and determine many different ways that students approach the exams. Because of access to the wealth of data and information provided through Honorlock, I became better able to utilize it.”– Ryan P. Mears, Ph.D., Lecturer at University of Florida

How online exam proctoring benefits distance learning and elearning faculty

Quick and easy implementation

As schools are expanding their online learning offerings, many distance learning faculty are taking on more responsibilities. That’s why a simple implementation is so valuable. Implementing an online proctoring platform should take days, not weeks. “From setting up the LMS integration in as little as an hour to a fully managed implementation and training plan, schools are ready to go with Honorlock,” Adair said.

“The integration between Canvas and Honorlock was really seamless. Very easy to get it launched. It was great, we had no problems launching it and making it work,” Burrell explained.

Secures and protects student data

Distance learning teams are concerned with far more than logistical issues. One key consideration for eLearning faculty is the importance of protecting students’ data.

“Colleges value the fact that we are FERPA-compliant and use an encrypted and secure connection during each online proctored exam. Additionally, all student data is secured and stored on the cloud in an Amazon (AWS) data center which is SOC 3 certified, U.S. Privacy Shield and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant,” said Adair.

Ensuring inclusion and accessibility</strong.

In addition, distance learning directors and educators are responsible for creating a diverse and inclusive online learning environment that’s accessible and usable for all students, regardless of their disability or condition.

Honorlock allows your faculty to provide a variety of accommodations to meet student accessibility needs, such as providing breaks, extending time limits, and allowing multiple attempts. Honorlock’s online proctoring platform integrates with assistive devices, such as screen readers, and complies with accessibility standards such as ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Protecting program and institution reputation

Distance learning directors and educators also want to ensure that a degree conferred through distance learning holds equal significance in the marketplace. “Online proctoring helps build the trust that exams are being delivered with the same rigor as an in-person test,” Adair said.

Predicting and controlling costs
Finally, as eLearning departments face budgetary considerations, some remote proctoring companies, such as Honorlock, offer a flat-rate cost per online exam or per student, which helps them better estimate testing costs.

How online proctoring benefits testing center directors

Easy to implement

An online proctoring platform has to be user-friendly for both the faculty designing tests and the students taking them.

“The acceleration in technology adoption has created new burdens for IT departments because institutions, administrators, and instructors have had to adapt to a suite of new tools at such a fast pace,” said Adair. He notes that personnel typically spend several months for training and preparation, adding, “The importance of turnkey software has been brought front and center as they want to streamline offerings and avoid spending extra training dollars or time.”

Reduces testing review time

Testing center staff spend a lot of time administering exams in person and reviewing online proctoring sessions to shift some of the workload from instructors. Honorlock helps them quickly identify which batches of student exams they might want to review.

“Now [instructors] just go in and click on results. The recent user interface updates streamlined the process even more for faculty.” – Ken Craver, Director of Distance Education at Tyler Junior College

Additionally, if the proctoring platform is easy for students to use, faculty reap the benefits through fewer questions and less hassle with technical issues.

Verifies ID

For some programs, ID verification is required by law, but for any test, faculty need to be sure that the student taking the exam is the student getting credit. With Honorlock, remote proctors can bypass the ID check, which helps make the check-in process more convenient for students as well as testing center staff.

How proctored testing benefits university administration

Increases online learning offerings

As universities face new challenges, they are looking for ideas that have a purposeful impact across the institution. One of the most attractive revenue streams they can offer is online learning.

“While many institutions had been considering expanding their online programs, the pandemic gave everyone the boost they needed to take it to the next level. They are seeing the advantages of making online programs available to more students under a variety of different circumstances, which could lead to greater revenue. Online proctoring makes this growth more feasible,” Adair explained.

Predicts and controls testing costs

Hand-in-hand with growing revenue is controlling costs. Honorlock offers the ability to accurately predict remote testing costs, keeping budgets in check with a flat-rate cost per student or per exam.

Protects institutional reputation

Online exam proctoring reinforces the validity of their academic programs and the institution as a whole, which is vital for the accreditation process.

“It allows universities to demonstrate that students have met certain learning outcomes by showing that the exam was secure and that they verified the identity of the student doing the work,” Adair explains.

This confirmation is more important than ever, given the documented rise in cheating on online tests. The underlying goal? Protecting academic integrity and ensuring a fair and equitable educational experience for all students.

Is your institution ready for the benefits of online proctoring?

Whether you want to expand your online learning offerings or create a level playing field on campus, online proctoring can support your institutional goals.

It also reinforces one of the most crucial services you provide: boosting achievement in students.

“As instructors, we take seriously our role to educate students about academic integrity,” said the University of Cincinnati’s Burrell. “I remind them that when they join the work world, they have to know how to do the research and figure out answers on their own. College is designed to allow them to practice those skills, and we do them a disservice if we don’t encourage that and hold them to high standards throughout their academic journey.”

As universities continually burnish their legacies by proving the value of the education they provide, they are increasingly turning to online proctoring as a foundational solution.

What is Honorlock?

Honorlock approaches online exam proctoring in a better way.

Our purpose isn’t simply to catch students cheating – we aim to create an online testing environment that supports honesty and integrity in a non-invasive, fair, and equitable testing environment.

Honorlock’s combines the benefits of AI with those of live remote proctors to help reduce student test anxiety, provide support, and uphold academic integrity.

Make online proctoring simple and easy with Honorlock. Schedule a demo.
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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How Does Online Proctoring Work?

How does online proctoring work and what is it?

What is online proctoring?

Online proctoring uses monitors online exams with software and/or live proctors to prevent cheating and support test takers.

Four types of online proctoring:

  1. Browser lockdown: prevents test takers from using other browsers and keyboard functions
  2. AI proctoring (automated): monitors online exams with AI proctoring software only
  3. Live proctoring: a live proctor watches test takers the entire time they take the exam
  4. Blended proctoring: Combines AI proctoring with live proctors. AI monitors exams and alerts a live proctor if it detects potential dishonesty. Blended solutions typically include browser lockdown software.

Can online proctoring be used on different exam formats?

Online proctoring can be used for nearly any type of assessment. Whether it’s an online exam using standard question types (multiple choice and true/false), in-person tests, and even authentic assessments where a test taker is completing a task such as a live presentation or demonstration.

How does online proctoring work?

First things first: the online proctoring software should directly integrate with the Learning Management System (LMS). A direct LMS integration makes it easy to proctor online exams; it streamlines implementation, no extra logins and passwords are needed, and it creates a familiar environment for exam takers and instructors.

Here’s how blended online proctoring works:

Instructors create the test in the LMS like they usually do, and the proctoring software collects the necessary information through the integration.

Instructors pick the exam proctoring features to use

Instructors have plenty of proctoring features to choose from, such as detecting cell phones, locking the browser, detecting voices, verifying ID, and more.

Test takers get set up and start the online proctored exam

  They’ll simply log in to the LMS like they already do, verify their identity in about a minute, and then launch the proctored exam. Ideally, they’ll be able to get support directly within the exam window.

AI software monitors the exams

  A key feature of using a blended proctoring solution is that AI software monitors each exam session and alerts a live proctor if it detects any potential dishonesty. The benefit of this approach to proctoring online exams is that it’s non-invasive and less intimidating because a live proctor isn’t watching them throughout the exam. Additionally, the proctor can quickly review the situation and determine if they need to intervene and address it with the test taker and then help them get back on track.

Instructors review reports after the exams

  The exam proctoring software collects extensive data and provides actionable reports and time-stamped recordings to the instructor within the LMS dashboard. The exam proctoring software collects extensive data and provides it to the instructor for review within the LMS dashboard. To help save time, the reports should provide time-stamped recordings of violations and suspicious behavior.

Online proctoring features

We’ll break the proctoring features in this section into two parts:
  1. Common: features used by most online proctoring companies
  2. Exclusive: features used by one or very few proctoring solutions

Common online proctoring features

  • Video monitoring: uses the webcam to monitor behavior, scan the testing room, and verify ID
  • Basic audio monitoring: monitors audio but doesn’t listen for specific keywords or phrases that can indicate potential dishonesty
  • Browser lock: an entry-level proctoring feature that just prevents the use of other browsers and certain keyboard functions
  • ID verification: uses the webcam to verify identity

Exclusive online proctoring features

  • Cell phone detection: AI software that can detect when test takers attempt to use their cell phones or other devices to access test bank content during the exam
  • Smart voice detection: more advanced than the previously mentioned basic audio because it listens for specific keywords or phrases, such as “Alexa,” “OK Google,” or “Hey Siri.” Then, it alerts a live test proctor to intervene
  • AI+Live proctoring: blended online proctoring software that monitors the exam session for potential academic dishonesty and alerts a live proctor to join the session in real-time if it detects any issues
  • Test question integrity: a technology that searches the internet to identify leaked test questions. If it finds leaked questions, instructors can take steps to control their exams’ integrity

Why use online proctoring?

Online proctoring creates a fair test and equitable environment

While some believe that online proctoring is just used to catch cheating on online exams, it’s much more than that. When proctoring is done right, it helps create a non-invasive and equitable testing environment that holds everyone accountable.

Supports test takers

Some proctoring companies had their proctoring teams trained by a nationally certified counselor and educator about supporting test takers during moments of assessment frustration and anxiety.

Provides instructors with valuable insight into test performance

In-depth reports and recordings help instructors understand how test takers approach online exams and where they’re struggling or excelling.

Protects reputation

Reputation is a foundational element in higher education and any corporation. Prospective students, accrediting bodies, and employers need to know that the programs are academically sound.

Online exam proctoring services play a critical role in protecting reputation and online exams.

What is Honorlock?

Honorlock was the first to combine AI software with live proctors to make online proctoring simple, easy, and human.

Honorlock upholds academic integrity with online exam proctoring that’s monitored by AI and reviewed by humans. Our proctoring software monitors each exam session and alerts a live, US-based test proctor if it detects any potential problems. This provides our proctors with the opportunity to enter the exam session and help the exam taker get back on track.

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

Tips to Create Online Authentic Assessments (with examples & rubric template)

How to create online authentic assessments

Authentic assessments are a great way to make sure that students can apply what they’ve learned in class to real-world situations. While there are many benefits to using authentic assessments, there are also key things to consider before you get started. For more information on what authentic assessments are, see part 1 of our series.

In this article, we’ll show you:
  • How to create authentic assessments in five steps
  • An example authentic assessment rubric
  • How to deter and prevent cheating on authentic assessments

5 Steps to create an authentic assessment

  1. Write a summary sentence with key assessment objectives
  2. Break the summary sentence into specific sections
  3. Write a bulleted list of exactly what students should know for each section
  4. Write down different authentic assessment activities that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge – don’t forget about web accessibility!
  5. Choose your assessment activities and create a detailed rubric with descriptions

How to create authentic assessments

Step 1: Write a summary sentence with key assessment objectives

We recommend starting with one or two sentences in order to keep the assessment focused as you continue.

Example:

Students will demonstrate understanding of three process improvement methodologies and the ability to determine which best applies to specific businesses, industries, and situations.

Step 2: Break the summary into individual sections

Example:

Section 1: Demonstrate understanding of three process improvement methodologies

Section 2: Ability to determine which methodology best applies to various situations

Step 3: Write a bulleted list of what students should know for each section

Example:

Section 1: Demonstrate understanding of three process improvement methodologies

  • Foundational elements of each methodology: how it works, and when and why it was created
  • Common terms and definitions for each methodology

Section 2: The ability to determine which methodology is most appropriate in different situations

  • Pros and cons of each methodology
  • Why and how each methodology should be used for different businesses, industries, and situation

Step 4: Write down how students can demonstrate their knowledge for each item on the bulleted lists

After you create bulleted lists of what students should know for each section, create a list of how students can demonstrate knowledge for each.

Example:

Section 1: Demonstrate understanding of three process improvement methodologies

  • Foundational elements of each methodology: how it works, and when and why it was created
  • Written portion: Explain each methodology (1-2 paragraphs)
  • Timeline: Create a timeline for each methodology that emphasizes key dates
  • Video self-recording: Explain each methodology in 1-2 minutes
  • Common terms and definitions for each methodology
  • Fill in the blank for terms/definitions
  • Written: Write a brief summary of each term that describes when and how they’re used in a real-world effort

Section 2: The ability to determine which methodology is most appropriate in different situations

  • Pros and cons of each methodology
  • Video self-recording: Verbally explain the pros and cons of each process improvement methodology
  • Written: List 3-5 pros and cons of each methodology
  • Class discussion: Review a case study, choose a methodology, and then discuss why it should be used compared to a different methodology chosen by another student
  • Why and how each methodology should be used for different businesses, industries, and situation
  • Presentation: Apply one methodology to a specific case study and explain why and how it was used
  • Case study and recommendation: Review real-world case study and provide a recommendation on which methodology should be used to improve efforts.

Keep accessibility in mind as you choose assessment activities

When considering assessment activities, keep web accessibility and compliance standards in mind to help create a fair test environment.

  • Is each activity possible for every student regardless of disability or condition?
  • e.g., If the activity involves a spoken component, how will students with speech impairments complete it?
  • Are all technologies used in the online course compatible with assistive devices?
  • Does the LMS, online proctoring platform, and third-party software integrate with assistive technology?
  • Are resources needed to complete the activities accessible for each student?
  • e.g., Can they all afford a webcam/microphone? If not, do they have access to resources on campus?

Step 5: Choose the activities students will complete to demonstrate knowledge and then create descriptions and clear rubrics for each

After you pick the activities students will complete to demonstrate knowledge, you’ll create detailed descriptions and rubrics for each portion of the assessment. The descriptions and rubrics should be detailed and easy to understand so that students know exactly what’s expected of them.

Note: The example below doesn’t include a description or rubric for students requiring accommodations. However, each student should have assessment activity descriptions and rubrics that provide similar details and formatting. It should also provide information about how to contact the instructor for help.

Example:

For this example, the instructor asks for a self-recording of each student verbally describing the pros and cons of each process improvement methodology.

Example Description: Use your webcam to record a video where you’ll verbally explain the pros and cons of each process improvement methodology. The three process improvement methodologies are Six Sigma, Project Management, and Agile.

For accommodations, please email to discuss alternative options for completing the assessment activities.

For each methodology, you’ll provide:

  • A 1-minute overview of how each methodology works
  • A complete overview includes:
  • The name of the methodology
  • Who created it and when it was created
  • The general intent and purpose of the methodology
  • e.g., it’s intended to streamline technology implementation and reduce waste
  • Two industries that commonly use the methodology
  • Three advantages and disadvantages for each methodology
  • For each advantage/disadvantage, provide clarity on the positive or negative impact and how it affects other areas of the business.

Example:

  • Good example: Six Sigma reduces waste by spotting defects in manufacturing processes, which reduces labor costs because it saves time.
  • Bad example: Six Sigma saves time and money

Example authentic assessment rubric:

For accommodations, please email to discuss alternative options for completing the assessment activities.

How to deter and prevent cheating during authentic assessments

It can be tricky to protect the academic integrity of authentic assessments because they use many different question types and activities that are outside of standard questions to assess students.

Building on the example in Step 5 where the student is completing a verbal component for the assessment, how would you protect integrity? You could use proctoring software to record the student’s presentation and have them complete a room scan prior to the presentation to make sure that they aren’t reading from their notes.

Click here to see real examples of how use online proctoring for authentic assessments.

But how would you protect academic integrity for other activities in an authentic assessment?

Aside from a basic browser lock, which usually isn’t enough to protect exams, what other online proctoring features can help deter and prevent cheating on authentic assessments? Consider an online proctoring solution that combines AI with human proctors to detect cell phones, monitor student behavior, detect voices, identify leaked exam content, verify ID, and more.

Blended online proctoring solutions, such as Honorlock, can help protect your authentic assessments by:

Detecting cell phones

Our AI proctoring software can detect when students attempt to use their cell phones to access test bank content during the exam.

Identifying when your test content has been leaked online

Use Honorlock’s Search & Destroy™ technology to scour the Internet for all of your questions used on the exam in a matter of minutes. If it finds leaked exam questions, instructors are given simple steps to take control of the situation.

Monitoring student behavior and verifying ID

Honorlock’s software uses the students’ webcams to:

  • Monitor behavior
  • Verify student ID
  • Scan the room to make sure that no other people or resources are present
Assessment flexibility and on-demand support

Because authentic assessments can be a bit more complex, students and faculty may need some technical support during the assessment.

With Honorlock, students and faculty can get 24/7/365 US–based support and students can take their authentic assessments whenever they’re ready – no scheduling needed.

Choose a better way to protect academic integrity

Honorlock combines AI software with live human proctors to make online proctoring simple and easy for faculty and students.

During the exam, our AI monitors each student’s exam session and alerts a live proctor to join the student’s session if it detects any potential issues.

This blend of AI and human review delivers a less intimidating and non-invasive proctored testing experience for the student because they aren’t constantly being watched.

Read Part 1: How to use authentic assessment in online courses

Read Part 3: How to proctor online authentic assessments

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How to Use Authentic Assessments in Online Classes

Article about using authentic assessment in online courses

What is authentic assessment?

Authentic assessment means that students are assessed by their ability to complete real-world tasks that demonstrate their skills and knowledge.

If you’re wondering how traditional assessments are different than authentic assessments, here’s a summary:

  • Traditional assessment means students show what they know about a subject.
  • Authentic assessment means students demonstrate that they can do real-world tasks and activities.
Traditional assessment vs Authentic assessment

Generally speaking, there are a few differences between traditional assessment and authentic assessment.

Comparison of Traditional Assessment vs Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment examples

Examples of authentic assessments include:

  • Student portfolios of work
  • Demonstrations where students complete a hands-on task/activity
  • Game-based activities
  • Projects using industry software or hardware
  • Presentations
  • Mock interviews and other role-playing scenarios
  • Participation in classroom discussions and debates
  • Writing (essays, journals, reports, self-assessments, peer evaluations, etc.)

Here are examples of how authentic assessments can be used in online courses for different fields:

Accounting
Complete a cash flow statement based on mock data for the last three years using real accounting software.

Six Sigma
Live video presentation of a project plan to streamline technology implementation.

Counseling
Review a client-patient case study and conduct a mock video counseling session based on details from the case study.

Instructional Design
Create an accessible online course within a common learning management system based on mock student profiles that describe individual disabilities and conditions, along with other course requirements, such as a website, audio/video, and communication tools.

Data Security
Create a comprehensive disaster recovery plan for a technology company based on a case study that details the company’s business activities, technologies, and past security incidents.

Graphic Design
Use graphic design software to create a series of advertisements based on spec requirements for various social media platforms.

Use a combination of traditional and authentic assessments in the online classroom

While there are differences between traditional and authentic assessments, they can still complement each other in the online classroom. 

Consider this example:

Accounting instructors want students to know common terms and accounting laws, but they also want students to understand how to use real accounting software in a genuine work situation.

Instructors can use a combination of traditional and authentic assessments in online courses to ensure that students are comprehensively learning:

  • Use traditional online assessments to ensure that students know about the subject
    • Test students’ knowledge of asset and liability-related terms.
  • Use online authentic assessments to ensure that students can do the subject
    • Test students’ ability to apply their knowledge of assets and liabilities when creating a company balance sheet that includes examples of both.

Advantages and disadvantages of using authentic assessment

Advantages of authentic assessments

Prepares students for real-life work situations
The key benefit of online authentic assessments is that students are applying their skills and knowledge to real-world situations.

Involves a complex range of assessment strategies to test knowledge
Authentic assessments provide students with a variety of ways to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Instead of picking a multiple choice answer or choosing true or false, students are performing real-world tasks that require the comprehensive application of what they’ve learned.

Assessments are typically more active and engaging
Generally speaking, completing hands-on, real-world tasks will be more engaging for students than a multiple-choice assessment. Completing these tasks can mean that students conduct mock interviews, use real industry software to complete a project, or teach classmates a specific subject – all are an engaging and active way to demonstrate competency.

Disadvantages of authentic assessments

They can take longer to review and grade
Traditional assessments usually require less time to grade because students are completing standardized questions that can be automatically graded. Authentic assessments, such as conducting a mock counseling session, may require more time because the instructor has to watch the session and grade it based on complex rubrics.

Protecting academic integrity is tricky
Another concern that instructors have with assessments, especially online assessments, is making sure that students aren’t able to get an unfair advantage by using cell phones, notes, books, and the internet.

Authentic assessments typically require more than standardized question-types, so it’s important to use technology that helps create a fair testing environment for students, whether it’s a hands-on demonstration or writing an essay.

Grading can be more complex
Authentic assessments can be more complex to grade in some situations because students are completing a task instead of selecting a correct answer.

For example, if the assessment requires students to create a series of designed advertisement images, grading can become more subjective, and detailed rubrics are needed so that students know exactly what’s expected and how they’ll be graded.

 Read part two of this series for tips to create authentic assessments for online courses and actual examples of assessment activities and a rubric template. Read part 3 of this series to see real examples of how online proctoring can prevent cheating during online authentic assessments such as presentations, demonstrations, group work, open book, and handwritten or typed essays and math tests.

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.

How Secure is Online Proctoring?

How secure is online proctoring
Author Information
Paul Morales
VP of Information Security at Honorlock
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Security in online proctoring is extremely important because institutions and students expect that their data is well protected and their privacy is maintained. 

The online proctoring company is a partner in your overall assessment process, and because of that, their security becomes your security. 

Before we jump into the details of security, keep this in mind: There is no magic wand or final destination in the security journey. It’s an evolving process that requires us to improve both our proactive and reactive defenses.

Honorlock strongly believes that the entire online proctoring industry needs to focus on security, and we plan to share insights and learnings as we improve during our journey. 

Click to jump ahead to any of the sections below: 

In addition to the sections in the bullet list above, you can download our Vendor Security Cheat Sheet that gives you a list of real security questions you can ask technology vendors by entering your email below:

What is security?

Security has three key pillars, sometimes referred to as the CIA Triad: Confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Confidentiality

This ensures that access to data is only allowed by those who are authorized. It also means that those who are unauthorized are actively prevented from obtaining access.

Example of confidentiality: If I send you a message, you and only you know what the message is.

Availability

Put simply, availability is the assurance that networks, systems, and applications are up and running. It ensures that authorized users have timely, reliable access to resources when they are needed. 

Example of availability: I send you a message and you received it in a timely manner.

Availability has been the focus for a long time, but in recent years, many have realized how important confidentiality and integrity are in supporting operational security.

Security best practices for online proctoring companies

1. Assess all of your technology partners’ security practices

You’re only as secure as your weakest link. 

While security doesn’t happen overnight, if we’re open about what’s important, we can collectively improve security.

This effort to assess technology partners includes vendor security assessments and checking for a well-maintained risk management program, among other things.

2. Perform regular security testing

Regular security testing should include vulnerability scanning and penetration testing. 

What is vulnerability scanning?
Vulnerability scanning looks for areas of security that need further hardening or areas where action should be taken to reduce the chances of a security incident or breach. 

What is penetration testing?
Penetration testing uses the tactics of an attacker to exploit weaknesses in the environment to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, systems, or assets. 

3. Review their privacy policy

You should also look for a clearly defined and public-facing privacy policy that explains: 

  • How data is collected and maintained
  • What type of data is collected 

Fully understanding this information prepares to handle questions from concerned students and faculty.

What should you look for when vetting the security of online proctoring companies?

Data ownership

Never assume who owns the data in the system. Be sure that you have an understanding of data ownership with each of your technology partners.

Data encryption in transit and at rest

Make sure that your data is encrypted in transit and at rest. This ensures the confidentiality and integrity of data in the system.

Security training for every employee

Security is everyone’s job, but many companies believe security is dependent on a single department or person. Because of this, organizations should take a holistic approach to cyber security awareness. 

Tips to assess the security maturity of an organization

Ask for the following information: 

  • Details about employee security training and how often it occurs (does this training align with your organization’s security posture)
  • How do individuals report a security incident?
  • Does the company routinely test employees to ensure they would act accordingly when faced with a threat or attack? 

Textbook/classroom knowledge is great, but you want to ensure the company’s employees are prepared in the event something goes wrong. 

Data security should be tiered and classified

The company should tier data security based on the sensitivity of the data being protected. The data should be classified so that users can easily understand how it should be handled. 

Ask the proctoring company if they have a data classification policy and if their employees are trained on handling different classifications of data. 

Examples of different data classifications include: 

  • Public 
  • Confidential
  • Private and Confidential  

This classification should drive security that protects the asset. For example, public data may require fewer safeguards than if the data were private and confidential. 

Incident response plan

Unfortunately, things can happen that can impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Remember, hope isn’t a strategy.

Be sure to ask the proctoring company if they have an incident response plan in place and how often they run through those plans in practice or simulations.

Vendor Security Assessment

Use this list of questions as a starting point for your vendor assessment/security questionnaire, but remember that you’ll need to customize your questions and requirements to meet your institution’s specific needs. 

It’s important to keep in mind that completing a vendor assessment or security questionnaire may add time to the procurement cycle, so make sure you account for additional time in your project timeline.

Examples of pre-configured security question sets:

  • Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ/CAIQ Lite):
    The Cloud Security Alliance’s CAIQ is a downloadable list of yes or no questions about security controls that can be customized based on your institution’s needs. It helps create accepted industry standards and increases security control transparency.
  • Vendor Security Alliance Questionnaire (VSA)
    The VSA Questionnaire is a list of questions maintained by a group of companies that can be used to evaluate a vendor’s security and privacy. The VSA questionnaire can help streamline the evaluation process to save time and reduce costs.
  • Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT)
    The HECVAT is a questionnaire created by EDUCAUSE’s Higher Education Security Council in collaboration with Internet2 and the REN-ISAC to help higher education institutions assess vendor risk.
  • NIST standard 800-171
    The NIST standard provides recommendations for protecting controlled unclassified information. While it’s often associated with government contracts, it can provide a wealth of information about supply chain security.

Review these resources and see how they can provide value in your overall vendor assessments. 

Don’t hesitate to modify or update your approach as you learn more about what is important to your business.

Security software and technologies

It’s important to remember that there is no single solution for security.

All of the security tools in this section, in combination with others, provide a layered approach to information security. 

  • Web Application Firewall
  • IDS/IPS 
  • Antimalware/Antivirus/Next Gen AV
  • SSO/MFA 
  • Logging tools 
  • Backups and Snapshotting 

While most foundational security doesn’t require additional purchases, technology can assist in making it easier to defend, remediate, and remove malicious threats. 

Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A Web Application Firewall is a defensive tool that filters, monitors, and blocks web traffic to and from a web service/application. 

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
An Intrusion Detection System monitors network traffic and alerts to a threat. Intrusion Prevention Systems are designed to take action to block or remediate an identified threat. 

Antivirus/Anti-Malware
Antivirus and Anti-Malware are most often associated with security efforts, and they prevent, detect, and remove malicious software from the systems they run on. 

Next Generation Antivirus
Goes beyond signature-based detection and heuristics (or rule-based detection) because it’s a system-centric, cloud-based approach. It uses predictive analytics driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence, which combines with threat intelligence. This allows for the detection of zero-day threats and provides a much faster response than previously possible. 

What is a zero-day threat?
A zero-day threat, sometimes called a zero-day attack, is a new threat or malware variation that hasn’t been seen before, which makes it even more difficult to detect and protect against.

Single Sign-on and Multifactor Authentication
Allow for more secure and easy to manage identity and authentication management.

Single sign-on (SSO)
SSO provides a single source of truth for any integrated solution that allows for the centralized management of identity and authentication.

SSO also provides a much simpler onboarding and offboarding process for users. Because users will only need one password and login to access different tools.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
Provides an extra layer of security even if credentials are compromised. Multifactor Authentication is used to ensure that users are who they say they are by requiring that they provide at least two pieces of evidence to prove their identity. Each piece of evidence must come from a different category: something they know, something they have, or something they are. MFA should be implemented wherever possible. 

MFA example: If a user’s credentials are compromised, MFA makes it difficult for the attacker to gain access. The user would get a notification on their phone that provides a one-time key. If the user didn’t request this key, they’ll know that something is suspicious and can report this activity to the technology or security team.

Logging tools
Logging tools allow organizations to discover nefarious activities before they spread to other systems. They also provide information for disaster recovery or incident response scenarios. It gives insight into what the attacker did or tried to do which helps with efficient remediation. These tools can also be configured to send an alert when certain actions or criteria are satisfied. 

Snapshots and backups
In the event that something happens that affects the integrity or availability of the data, a backup or snapshot can allow for an organization to restore the environment to a previous state. Snapshots are frequently taken and can usually be restored faster in situations of limited or targeted data loss. 

Recovery Time Objective & Recovery Point Objective

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
Refers to the agreed-upon quantity of time that an application, system and/or process, can be down for without causing significant damage to the business, as well as the time spent restoring the application and its data. 

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
Refers to the amount of data that can be lost within a period before significant harm occurs from the point of a critical event to the most recent backup. 

Understand these timelines and the impact they may have on your proctoring solution and high-stakes testing. 

Honorlock Security

Honorlock maintains a public-facing privacy policy that clearly states that we will never sell or monetize your data with third parties. The institution owns the data and retention is governed by the MSA. Click here for the latest version of the privacy policy.

Your data is encrypted in both storage and at rest
Honorlock utilizes Amazon Web Services for our secure hosting needs. 

Amazon’s data centers are SOC 3 certified and exercise some of the most stringent physical security in the industry. 

We take a security-first approach
At Honorlock, security is a foundational element of everything we do. 

We know that it’s much more effective to address security issues in the design phase of any system. We’re constantly working to integrate security earlier into the requirement and design process. 

We are focused on creating a company culture that’s informed and trained on security best practices

Employee onboarding
Before joining the organization, every new employee receives a background check and signs a Non-disclosure agreement. 

As part of our company onboarding, each employee undergoes security training that covers compliance, information security, data classification, data handling, reporting security incidents, and much more. 

Ongoing security training for employees
Honorlock conducts annual security and privacy training for employees.

We also employ proactive security testing that simulates attacks against our most valuable defense – our people.

It is not enough to put people in a training room once a year and go through a 30-minute PowerPoint. At Honorlock, we challenge everyone to think about how their actions will affect the data we are entrusted with.

We treat your data like we would want our data to be treated.
Before onboarding a new vendor or sub-service organization that has access to confidential data, Honorlock performs a vendor assessment to ensure that each vendor passes our security, data, and privacy requirements. 

Disaster recovery to prepare for the unexpected
Unfortunately, risks are always present. What’s most important is that an organization is prepared if something doesn’t go as planned. We have Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity plans that we test annually. We also operate our infrastructure in multiple availability zones, which increases our resiliency to downtime. 

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Tyler Stike

Tyler has over a decade of experience in ed tech and higher education. He focuses on creating relevant and useful content for educators, institutions, and technologists.