Abstract
This paper describes the initial research discussions and outcomes from the first year of the Erasmus+ Online Proctoring for Remote Examinations project (OP4RE). This three year project is a partnership of eight contributors and received confirmation of funding in July 2016. It is now reporting on the activities of its first year’s work. The partners are committed to developing a set of research-based protocols and guidelines for ensuring that the use of live remote proctoring/invigilation can provide a secure and private means for online assessments taken by students located away from their university’s physical campus, when compared with assessments taken in a traditional examination hall with local invigilators.
Students may opt to take assessments remotely for several different reasons: some are following a complete online distance learning programme and may be located anywhere in the world with internet access. Other students may be based locally to their institution but choose online assessment for its convenience. This is particularly true for students who study part-time and are in employment, or those who have child-care responsibilities. Other students are physically unable to attend their HEI because of disability or lack of reliable transport at a reasonable cost. The aim is for the remote proctored assessment to be of equal quality and security compare with a campus-based assessment.
The student experience of sharing their identity and then ‘being watched’ by a remote proctor while taking an assessment is also researched. This project has the aim of showing how the student experience of being proctored online can be no more stressful for assessments when taken in their chosen personal environment. Multiple sources of evidence indicate that taking an assessment in a large examination hall can be a very stressful occasion for students.
The paper highlights the lessons learned already from a pilot study into remote proctoring undertaken by one of the partners and the feedback received from this. It details outcomes from the activities and pilot studies undertaken during 2017 by the different academic partners and reports on the student feedback to date comparing preliminary research outcomes.
Students may opt to take assessments remotely for several different reasons: some are following a complete online distance learning programme and may be located anywhere in the world with internet access. Other students may be based locally to their institution but choose online assessment for its convenience. This is particularly true for students who study part-time and are in employment, or those who have child-care responsibilities. Other students are physically unable to attend their HEI because of disability or lack of reliable transport at a reasonable cost. The aim is for the remote proctored assessment to be of equal quality and security compare with a campus-based assessment.
The student experience of sharing their identity and then ‘being watched’ by a remote proctor while taking an assessment is also researched. This project has the aim of showing how the student experience of being proctored online can be no more stressful for assessments when taken in their chosen personal environment. Multiple sources of evidence indicate that taking an assessment in a large examination hall can be a very stressful occasion for students.
The paper highlights the lessons learned already from a pilot study into remote proctoring undertaken by one of the partners and the feedback received from this. It details outcomes from the activities and pilot studies undertaken during 2017 by the different academic partners and reports on the student feedback to date comparing preliminary research outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 16th European Conference on e-Learning |
| Editors | Anabela Mesquita, Paula Peres |
| Place of Publication | Reading, UK |
| Publisher | ACPI (Academic Conference Publishing International) |
| Pages | 221-228 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781911218593 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781911218609 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Oct 2017 |
| Event | 16th European Conference on E-Learning - ISCAP, Porto, Portugal Duration: 25 Oct 2017 → 27 Oct 2017 Conference number: 16 http://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/ecel/ |
Conference
| Conference | 16th European Conference on E-Learning |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ECEL 2017 |
| Country/Territory | Portugal |
| City | Porto |
| Period | 25/10/17 → 27/10/17 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- remote proctoring
- OP4RE
- student experience
- distance learning
- e-assessment
- online invigilation