The public discussion around the language contained in the legislation reauthorizing the higher education act, requiring distance learning programs to demonstrate how they are authenticating their online students, serves as a good opportunity to talk about our Securexam Remote Proctor System.
Many publications have described Securexam Remote Proctor as being built to address the new legislative requirements (New Systems Keep a Close Eye on Online Students at Home). That’s simply not true.
While Securexam Remote Proctor does authenticate the identity of a test-taker, its primary purpose is to cost effectively protect the academic integrity of computer-based exams administered at a distance.
The concept of academic integrity is not new, and most schools do not need Congress to tell them it’s important. Regardless of how schools are administering tests for their online programs, they all know that academic integrity is a key foundation of their brand, and a necessary element of the value they provide.
Securexam Remote Proctor does what a human proctor does on campus or in a testing center. It checks an exam-taker’s identification and monitors the exam room conditions. Securexam has the added benefit of ensuring the test-taker’s computer can’t be used to cheat (technology traditional schools are using in proctored settings). Securexam Remote Proctor does all of this within the value proposition of distance learning: test/learn at the convenience of the student.
Securexam Remote Proctor customers want to (1) demonstrate to employers that their students’ degrees have the same value as that held by the traditional student; (2) make it easy for students to test conveniently and without the added costs associated with going to find a proctor; (3) protect those of their students that would not cheat from those that would; and, (4) ensure that their online learners and traditional learners feel their is a level playing field.
As requested, we will start profiling schools using Securexam Remote Proctor. Hopefully you will see what they realized long ago. The system addresses the same issues schools and accreditors have promoted forever; facilitate learning, promote integrity, prevent cheating.
