How to ensure assessment integrity in distance learning?

As we are gradually moving towards online platform for lending instructions and conducting exams, maintaining the academic and assessment integrity has become of prime importance. Given the sensitivity of this time when Coronavirus spread is restricting all sorts of connections, online educational platforms are the only source for teachers to continue the academic necessities.

The teachers who are new to using online examination system fear the possibilities of cheating and fraudulence. Attempting exam in an environment that is commonly unfamiliar to both the learner as well as instructor can create the anxiety of not having enough control over the situation.

Being trained to conduct and attempt assessments in a control environment, makes it less feasible to switch to online exam software that gives the illusion of greater freedom.

Well there is always a chance to control the test environment whether in remote tests or classroom tests.

“It has been researched that students are more likely to cheat when they are burdened to perform under anxiety and pressure.”

When moving learners in hurry to an online assessment platform, teachers often forget to make them aware of the environment which consists of new rules and norms to follow mandatorily. This sort of environment can produce both pressure as well as anxiety in the students which can become their tipping point for cheating.

The best thing that teachers can do irrespective of the subjects and lessons they teach is to support their students by giving them choices and options.

Reduce strict timing pressure:

Avoid putting time limit when assigning online activities to your students. In case of using online exam software for formative tests you can set time limit accordingly through the software which should be less stringent.

Reduce due date stress:

To a certain limit you should allow late submissions or you can also give a proper time frame. For Example you can ask you students to submit the academic content within a week’s time. This way they won’t be stressed and also you will get their submission on time.

Reduce the anxiety of grades:

The best part of using an online examination system is that it gives you wide scope of being creative. You don’t have to conduct one big test with high grades instead you can break it in parts. Conduct small tests, quizzes and other sorts of formative assessments and divide the grades accordingly.

Reduce the anxiety of communication:

Teachers as well as students have time and again raised the concern of lack of communication in online learning. You need to erase that! Be precise to tell your students that you are open for listening to them. Become proactive in resolving their queries and be available on various platforms such as messages, live chat and calling for connecting with them. Discuss about any changes if you have made in the curriculum or if you plan to start something new. Whatever you are thinking of doing, just share with them so that they don’t feel ignored or left out.

You can also switch to remote proctoring which is an add on technology to online examination system.

Now that every teacher is shifting to online resources for conducting tests it is important to integrate its eminent extensions as well. Remote proctoring has become quite famous over the years as it ensures assessment integrity through scientific means. There are mainly three types of remote proctoring-

Live online proctoring- In this the proctor who is well trained to ensure authentication of students and cheat-proof tests sits in a remote location to invigilate and can raise red flags in case of cheating. The proctor invigilates through audio-video in real time. One proctor can invigilate up to 32 candidates at a time.

Recorded proctoring- It is opposite to online proctoring and the audio-video as well as screen feeds are recorded which is proctored later. The proctor is assigned with a time when he/she goes through all the recording and detects any faulty behavior or unwanted attempt in an ongoing exam.

Automated proctoring- This is the most advanced type of proctoring in which AI integrated proctoring platform is used to prevent cheating. The software can record audio-video as well as use its own integrated analytics to detect suspicious activities. It ensures that the test taking environment is secure and has got enough light. It can also recognize voice activities in the background after which it raises red flags. Also, it has face recognition feature which is used for student authentication.

Conclusion

Teachers of this generation are blessed with the scope of technology and should be proactive to use it at its best. This is the time when switching to online examination system or an E-Learning platform would go a long way securing the future of education all together. This is the time when teachers have to learn how to ensure various measures in online teaching and assessments which also includes ensuring assessment integrity. Hope you would as a teacher get enough hints from this blog on how you can make your online assessments secure and cheat proof.