Webcam proctoring system under review
The South Dakota Board of Regents is considering the implementation of a webcam feature to be incorporated into the Lockdown Browser system as a way to deter students enrolled in any of the state’s public universities from engaging in academic misconduct.
Eric Mosterd, assistant director for the Center of Teaching and Learning at the University of South Dakota, said the program, called Respondus Monitor, is a remote proctoring tool that provides an alternative to a live proctoring session.
Respondus Monitor is a branch of the Lockdown Browser which utilizes a computer’s webcam to record video and sound while a student is taking an exam.
The recorded video is a series of screenshots to be viewed by the instructor if they have suspicions about a student’s answers. The video is stored and can be viewed by the instructor via Amazon Cloud through D2L.
While USD currently has agreements with D2L and Respondus, they do not have an agreement with Amazon and is something they are investigating on how to procure.
Mosterd said proctored exams are in compliance with the Higher Education Act, and more specifically are used for the purpose of identity verification and to preserve the integrity of online courses.
“The idea behind remote proctoring software, like Monitor, is to provide a monitored environment at the student’s location, similar to what they would experience with a live proctor,” Mosterd said.
Katie Barnett said the convenience appeals to her because of distance and off-campus learning becoming more popular.
“I could see it as being convenient. In Wagner, where I’m from, there is only one proctor so if there is a conflict then we have to scramble to make something else work and it’s just a hassle,” Barnett said.
As it is still in the planning process at the system (SDBOR) level, Mosterd said a pilot for Respondus Monitor is being set up for the D2L Management Committee to observe not only interest in the tool but also how students and faculty respond to using a webcam.
Junior Kelly Kaufman said she does not find the idea very appealing.
“I don’t like the restrictions a webcam would place on the student,” she said. “I think it is an invasion of privacy.”
Michelle Van Maanen, department chair of the Contemporary Media and Journalism school, said Respondus Monitor is not an invasion of privacy due to a probable terms and conditions policy for the program.
“Since the students would sign up for the class knowing about the feature then there is no invasion of privacy,” Van Maanen said. “A terms and conditions policy before every exam would serve as insurance for the university that the student agreed to the conditions of the webcam.”
Respondus Monitor is not meant to replace Lockdown Browser, but to serve as an alternative for students who don’t have easy access to a proctor, Mosterd said. If a student does not want to use the webcam feature they still have the option of a live proctor.
Mosterd said the Respondus Monitor implementation has not been set on any definitive time line to launch, but because it would need to coincide with the start of a new semester the earliest it could be implemented would be fall 2014.
Follow reporter Anna Fink on Twitter @AnnaLFink
