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Technology Resources for Remote Instruction:
Resources

Guide to remote exams and assessments

Before planning an exam with these tools, instructors should consider whether a proctored exam is the best option.

Proctored remote exams have several drawbacks, including the following:

  • Remotely proctored exams may be more stressful than in-person proctored exams, which can negatively impact student performance.
  • They require substantial planning and setup on the part of the instructor and the student.
  • Proctoring systems can generate “false positive” flags that must be reviewed by an instructor after the exam.
  • Not all students have access to the appropriate technology (computer, high-speed internet and a webcam) to use proctoring services; instructors will have to make accommodations for such students. Please keep in mind that Chromebooks are not currently supported for remotely proctored exams.
  • The technical infrastructure of proctoring services has not been utilized at this scale until now. Planning must include what to do if the proctoring service experiences an outage during the exam.

For these reasons, we recommend using alternatives to timed, proctored exams wherever possible. Large courses reliant on in-person exams should consider open-book exams or frequent low-stakes assessments as alternative assessment strategies that are relatively easy to grade.

If you still determine that a traditional timed, proctored exam is the best assessment for your course, tools are available in  Canvas.

Online proctoring and assessment tools

When using an online proctoring tool, students will be required to have access to a computer, high-speed internet, and a webcam with a microphone. Students should follow the University guidance concerning web conferencing and local campus, school, and department guidelines for remote learning. Prior to recording, students should notify anyone that may appear in the recording (including any residents where the recording is taking place) that the student is recording a video, in order to ensure that any recordings do not violate others’ privacy.

The following tools are available in Canvas: