Procotoring

There are numerous challenges in proctoring for both face-to-face and online instruction and determined students can be unfortunately creative if they are determined to cheat. The approaches presented here are meant to deter cheating as best as possible in our current environment.

As you formulate your plan for assessing students in our new remote-teaching environment we encourage you to consider strategies that recognize virtual proctoring constraints. For example, you might decide that a “take-home” exam or a “final project” might meet your assessment needs. Also please consider open notes approaches for exams which can alleviate some proctoring limitations.

If you need assistance determining what Proctoring tool to use, please contact fse-canvas@asu.edu.

How can I proctor my exams online?

Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor limits the student’s ability to open other applications, copy/paste/print, etc., while Monitor uses a webcam to record the student while taking the exam. This is a fully automated solution that identifies points in the video if a student leaves the computer, has someone else sit at the computer, or if a second face is captured during the recording. Instructors see a report and can view the items flagged as suspicious.

Important considerations:

Respondus LockDown Browser is only for use with tests administered in Canvas. It is not recommended for exams requiring hand-written work.
Requires all students to have a web camera and microphone
Student device requirements:
- Windows 10, 8, 7
- MacOS 10.15 - 10.10
- iOS: 11+ iPad only with limited functionality (Not recommended)

Chromebooks are not supported
Students can take their exam any time, day or night, within the allowed set dates specified by the instructor.
Students are not allowed to access any programs or software outside of the exam.
If the instructor embeds documents or tools, such as PDF files and spreadsheets, within the exam, students can access those.

The instructor can opt to enable a regular calculator or scientific calculator that is built into the Respondus LockDown Browser.

RPNow is a “record and deliver” solution where a student’s desktop and webcam are recorded during the exam and the recordings are delivered to the instructor for their review. RPNow is a more flexible proctoring solution and supports the use of third-party/publisher tools and testing sites. RPNow is still available for online courses or combined online/f2f or online/hybrid courses as it has been with full video review. Instructors wishing to use RPNow should submit a request at least 5 days in advance of the exam.

Important considerations:

Requires all students to have a web camera and microphone
Students must have a reasonably stable internet connection (Internet speed: 1.5 Mbps download, 750 Kbps upload)
Student device requirements:
- Windows 8, 10
  - Browser: Google Chrome (minimum version 79)

MacOS 10.11 and higher
- Browser: Google Chrome (minimum version 79)

Tablets are supported if running Windows OS
Chromebooks are supported.
iOS and Android tablets are not supported.

Students can take their exam any time, day or night, within the allowed set dates specified by the instructor.
Instructor or TA will need to review the proctor recordings

Live Zoom sessions are similar to face to face proctoring. For recommendations on how to use Zoom for proctoring, visit the FSE remote instruction FAQ site. For large classes, there may be students available who can assist with monitoring during exam periods. ContactKaren.Lund-Dennison@asu.edu to request proctoring assistance with the following information:

Course Prefix and Number
Date, time and duration of exam
Number of students in class

The option which works best will depend greatly on the type of exam. Independent of the chosen solution, follow these best practices:

Administer a practice examination to test the technology and ensure students have the necessary resources
Provide students with prior notification of all examination guidelines and requirements
Require an ID check and room scan at start of all exams
Insert a question requiring a mid-exam scan of the work area
Refer your students to the ASU Experience Center for technical assistance (1-855-278-5080).

If you would like assistance selecting the best option or setting up one of the proctoring applications, contact fse-canvas@asu.edu or post a question to the fse-teaching-and-learning Slack channel.

What is Respondus Lockdown Browser?

Respondus LockDown Browser™ is a customized browser that increases the security of test delivery in Canvas. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser to access an exam, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Once an assessment is started, students are locked into it until it’s submitted for grading

How does Respondus LockDown Browser work?

Students start LockDown Browser, log into the Canvas LMS and complete a brief startup sequence prior to accessing the exam.
The student and the surrounding environment are recorded using a webcam during the entire exam.
Instructors can quickly review details of the assessment, and watch the recorded video.
Students don't need to schedule exam sessions in advance.
Administrators ensure student identity and exam integrity in distance learning environments.

Can you record with Respondus LockDown browser?

Yes, Respondus Monitor™ is an optional companion product for LockDown Browser that requires students to use a webcam to record a video of the assessment session.

How It Works

Students start LockDown Browser, log into the Canvas LMS and complete a brief startup sequence prior to accessing the exam.
The student and the surrounding environment are recorded using a webcam during the entire exam.
Instructors can quickly review details of the assessment, and watch the recorded video.
Students don't need to schedule exam sessions in advance.
Administrators ensure student identity and exam integrity in distance learning environments.

Where can I learn more about using Respondus?

https://asu.service-now.com/ess/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0010707

What things should I consider when using Zoom for proctoring?

Students will need a printer.
Create a practice test to ensure students have the necessary resources (printer, webcam, etc.)
Students should not leave the field of view during the exam.
Mute all participants and disable their ability to un-mute.
Enlist enough TA/UGTA assistance to monitor students’ activity.
Set Zoom to only allow chat with the host for questions.
Provide instructions in advance for uploading a copy of the exam. A phone scanner app like CamScanner or Microsoft Office Lens can help facilitate this process.
Set the "Only Authenticated Users" option to provide an extra layer of ID verification
Periodically ask students to scan their testing environment with the webcam.

Plan for a percentage of students who encounter PC, network, or other technical issues that prevent them from taking the exam during the scheduled exam window. This is normal and expected for any online exam.
Do not refer students to contact yourself or your TA(s) with technical issues - refer the students to the experience center.
Request students do send their case number to you if they do need to contact the experience center during the exam window - this case number will have a date and time stamp and as the faculty member of the class, you can call the experience center to verify the case date + time as well as the issue discussed.

How can I avoid student technical issues?

Technical issues are common and frustrating. Following these guidelines will help to minimize issues. At the same time, be mindful of the challenges and accommodate students who have technical problems (computer freezing, loss of internet connection) during proctored exams.

Administer a practice examination to test the technology and ensure students have the necessary resources.
Provide students with prior notification of all examination guidelines and requirements. Include these recommendations:
1. Prior to the exam, turn off all other devices in your home that are using the internet, including TVs and other computers.
2. Restart your computer before launching into the exam.
3. Login at least 15 minutes before the exam to allow time for troubleshooting.
4. If you have any problems, reboot your computer and try again. If the problem persists, call the ASU Experience Center (1-855-278-5080) immediately. The Experience Center will assess the problem and issue a 'ticket' as evidence.

What if a student doesn’t have a webcam?

If the student is local, the University Library has laptops available for check-out.
BYENG 214 (CIDSE lab) has all in one computers with webcams.
ASA has laptops with webcams available for student loan.

How do I ensure that the student is the one taking the exam (ID Verification)?

With Zoom, it is recommended to require students to appear on screen with a webcam. If you have a large class, ask students to show their ID.

Respondus can be used without video recording. Make sure to enable the "Monitor" feature if you want to have a video recording when using Respondus. This is recommended for ID verification.

Are there other ways to determine if a student cheats on my examination while remote proctoring?

Yes, while your students are taking the examination you can monitor Google and sites like Chegg.com to see if anyone is uploading your questions to the Internet while the exam is open.

It is a good practice to inform students that you will monitor these sites (this will deter them hopefully)

To do this: simply cut and paste one of your questions into Google, or search ASU 101 final exam (using your course prefix and #). When/if you discover your questions online, copy the URL and paste it into a Word document with a brief description (e.g. final exam question #2)

Send this information to the Academic Integrity Office and they will issue a copyright takedown request and also ask for the identifying information of the person who uploaded the material to the website.

If I discover an academic integrity violation, where can I get additional information on how to handle the situation and report the violation?

You can both report and find faculty specific guidance by going to the FSE Academic Integrity website.

Will ASU make any other proctoring services available to facilitate ‘remote instruction’?

UTO is currently in contract negotiations with additional vendors. More information will be shared as soon as it is available.

Page updated

Report abuse