There are many different types of online proctoring software, including lockdown browsers, automated proctoring, AI proctoring with intervention from live proctors, webcam live, and 360° Total View. Although lockdown browsers are very common and are easily downloadable, making them convenient for use, they do not have the advantage of having an exam camera. Exam cameras are essential to maintaining the integrity of assessments and choosing online proctoring software with an exam camera is essential.
Exam cameras allow for test takers to be viewed, whether it is just a live webcam of their face, video of just their handwritten work, or a 360° total view of their entire surroundings. A 360° total view can effectively capture whether a student is or is not cheating on an assessment and is best for high-stakes assessments. However, even a less secure form of using an exam camera for online proctoring software is important.
When you are monitoring a student’s work or face, they cannot reference other resources within that window. Unfortunately for these two types of exam cameras, there are a lot of blindspots, so a 360° total view is ideal for all assessments. For example, if the test at hand uses online proctoring software with an exam camera that only views a test taker’s face, as long as they do not hold notes up to the camera, they can still cheat, either by placing cheating materials on either side of the camera or under. Furthermore, if a test uses online proctoring software with an exam camera that only views a test taker’s workspace, specifically honing in on their work for the exam, test takers can place things in the blindspot of the camera like under the table or on the other side of the camera. Still, either exam camera is better than no proctoring at all, which provides students free reign to commit academic dishonesty. Online camera is also important for coding classes for kids online.
With increased popularity of online exams due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent remote learning came an influx of cheating scandals from various prominent universities and colleges all over the world, some affecting more than 25% of a class. Despite blindspots in some online proctoring software, exam cameras play a key role in reducing cheating and ensuring that students know that academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any form. Furthermore, it gives other honest students peace of mind, knowing that their peers will not be able to cheat without getting caught and their hard work and dedication to their coursework will not go unnoticed or unrewarded. Professors and teachers can also feel safe knowing that their exam questions are safe and will not be shared with future or current students, allowing them to reuse multi-faceted questions that properly test students on the application of many different ideas.
Some online proctoring software companies offer services for sensitive data and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), accommodating government-regulated markets like nuclear power. These services include export controlled information (ECI)-compliant remote proctoring, catering for a high-security industry that education platforms like Canvas and Blackboard and videoconferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams cannot provide. This can secure both the content of your exams and also any recordings of students, if school administrators request they be uploaded to the cloud for a period of time.
The exam camera is a critical component of online proctoring software and is an important innovation in the online proctoring industry. The limitations and blindspots of other solutions to academic dishonesty in the distance learning industry have shown time and time again that the exam camera is necessary.
