Introduction

The use of digital platforms for conducting online exams is increasing rapidly, this is major because of the preference of students to take courses in online mode. With the rise in acceptance of online, hybrid, and distance learning courses by students, tools like Learning Management Systems (LMS), Online tutoring systems, and Online Exam Platforms have become highly important for educational course management and delivery.

As emphasized earlier, online exam platforms turn out to be of prime essential in online course delivery, while it is commonly considered that online exams are prone to malpractice, recent advances in technology have made sure that online exams can be conducted in a malpractice-free manner with high reliability.

Institutions need to make sure that the online exams are conducted in a malpractice free and fair. This is backed by the fact that the quality of the examination/assessment process can make or break the reputation of an educational institute. In other words, it can be said that the reliability of the assessment process is directly linked to the credibility of the course and the reputation of the institute.

In this article, we will explore the world of remote assessments and introduce you to innovative technologies such as Remote Proctoring, AI proctoring, and 360-degree proctoring.

How innovative technologies are transforming the landscape of online education by supporting secure online exams–

Here are why secure online exams are a need of an hour-

The global e-learning market is expected to reach $325 billion by 2025. With the recent adoption of online education, educational institutions are turning to remote assessment solutions to ensure the continuity of education. Hybrid learning and distance learning are nowadays preferred ways of learning.

As an outcome of this, 70% of educational institutions reported using some form of online proctoring for their remote exams. This signified the importance of proctoring technologies in upcoming times. 

Proctored Exams: Secure Online Proctoring With AI-Powered Tools

Exam proctoring is certainly being adopted at the global level with no major exceptions. There are various types of proctoring services available to make online remote exams secure and reliable. While remote proctoring is not a totally new concept, 360-degree proctoring is something to which the majority of the institutes are not yet introduced.

Here is what 360-degree remote proctoring means-

360-degree proctoring is one of the most advanced and innovative remote invigilation techniques, unlike simple remote proctoring, 360-degree remote proctoring makes sure that the student is not taking help from any other person or resource by enabling the invigilator to monitor the premises around the candidate.

Difference between Video Proctoring and 360 Degree Proctoring-

In case of the simple proctoring, the invigilator can only see some part of the premises around the candidate, 360-degree proctoring allows the remote invigilator to have an eye over the total premises around the candidate that ensures the malpractice-free exams.

Use of Two cameras in 360 Degree Proctoring

For the purpose of providing a 360 view of the premises around the candidate, the proctoring system utilizes 2 cameras, one which faces the candidate (basically, the webcam of the laptop) and another that faces the laptop/computer screen (a smartphone camera that captures candidate’s laptop screen and front side premises).

One of the major limitations of the conventional proctoring methodology is that it cannot get the view of behind-the-computer screen activities which is no longer the case with 360-degree proctoring.

In summary, the 360-degree proctoring system provides a complete view of the user attempting the online exam to the invigilator which nullifies the chances of malpractice during the online exam.

Proctoring Technology 

Proctoring technology involves live streaming of the remote candidate attempting the exam in the form of capturing audio, video, and photos of the user during the course of the examination.

Proctoring technologies have been widely adopted for many certification exams, academic exams, entrance exams, and Olympiad exam authorities with success. The high-stakes exams associated with any kind of certification/authority are largely conducted with proctoring technologies. 360-degree proctoring is yet another breakthrough in proctoring technology.

What is a Proctored Exam?

A proctored exam is basically the type of exam which is conducted in online mode, the student needs not to visit the exam center, these exams are made secure by monitoring the student’s activity (Image/video/audio/screen), the monitoring is usually done by a human proctor.

The role of human proctor can be overtaken by AI, proctoring done by AI is referred to as AI proctoring which utilizes advanced AI algorithms including facial recognition, identity verification, electronic devices and object detection to conduct secure exams with the highest integrity.

Stepwise guide: How the 360-degree proctoring works

Student login and QR code scanning on mobile phone

The process of 360-degree proctoring starts when the student logs in to the online examination software. As soon as the student logs in to the online exam system, the system asks the user to scan a QR code using a mobile phone.

Setting up the mobile phone at an angle of 45-degree for a 360-degree view

Once the QR code is scanned on the mobile phone, the camera of the mobile phone gets activated and it starts streaming live footage of the user’s surroundings. The user is asked to keep this camera at a 45-degree angle behind so that the proctor/ remote invigilator can see the entire surroundings of the user during the course of the examination.

Use of laptop camera for monitoring candidate and background

In addition to this mobile camera, the system also utilizes the laptop camera for live streaming of the candidate’s premises. This way invigilator is able to see 2 live-streaming cameras for one user.

It provides additional security and ensures that exams are being conducted with the highest form of integrity.

Candidate identity verification before the start of the examination

To nullify the chances of a wrong person (a person other than the one who is registered for the examination) appearing in the exam, the candidate is asked to provide a Photo ID card before the commencement of the examination, this step is called ‘Candidate authentication/ Identity Verification’.

Face Scanning for Facial Recognition

The system also performs face scanning of the person to ensure that the same person is attempting the exam throughout the exam session and the proctor can compare it with an identity card.

Live streaming using two cameras throughout the course of the examination

The live streaming using both cameras continue throughout the course of the examination, the video can be seen in real-time by the proctor. In case the proctor observes any kind of malpractice, the proctor can warn the candidate, if the candidate continues to malpractice, the proctor can pause or can even terminate the examination of the candidate. The proctoring can be totally automated by replacing the human proctor with the AI proctor. The AI system keeps watch on all the candidates efficiently.

AI calculated proctoring scorecard

At the end of the examination, the AI system generates the proctoring score, which is representative of how effective the malpractice prevention was. In the case of AI proctored examination, a candidate-wise report can be generated which may also serve as objective evidence of the malpractice.

Want to conduct even more stringent online exams smoothly?

Regulate the proctored exam environment effectively with our Secure Exam Browser

Secure Browser is a specially designed browser that restricts the access of students to any website other than the online exam website. In other words, a secure browser prevents the user from opening any other window apart from the examination screen.

If a user tries to open any other windows, then it is flagged in the system and the user’s exam session may get terminated in some extreme cases.

Secure browser-empowered exams certainly add a security layer for 360-degree proctoring and can make online exams more reliable.

360 Degree Room Scan Before the Start of Examination and Continuous Identity Verification

Room scan before the start of the examination

Before the start of the exam or during examination activity, the proctor can ask the candidate to show the entire room environment. Streaming using a mobile phone happens at an angle of 45 degrees which provides an entire view in front of the candidate. This makes sure that the room in which the candidate is appearing for the exam does not contain any resourceful study material or another person who might aid in cheating.

Continuous monitoring of the candidate’s premises

While the web camera of the laptop can provide a view of the candidate’s face and the environment where a candidate is seated, the mobile phone kept at an angle of 45 degrees can help the proctor to monitor the laptop screen and area behind the laptop.

Continuous authentication of test takers

The students’ authenticity is verified continuously without fail by the AI system which makes sure that the right candidate (the one who is authorized to appear at the examination) appears the examination.

Features of Auto-Proctored Examination

Have you ever wondered if the proctoring for online exams can be totally automated? Yes, online exam proctoring can be totally automated using AI proctoring. In the case of AI-integrated proctored exams, the AI takes over the role of a human proctor.

Here are the features of Auto-Proctored online exams-

• Scalability-
  A large number of students can appear in auto-proctored exams.
• Efficiency-
  Auto-proctored exams remain highly efficient in cheating prevention irrespective of the student count.
• Reliability-
  The auto-proctored exams are highly accurate in malpractice detection with more than 99% accuracy.
• Objectivity-
  At the end of the auto-proctored examination, an AI-generated report is provided that lets the administrator take a look at candidate results of the malpractice attempts, this also includes details like window switch count (the number of times the student tried to switch the browser window in order to seek help from the resourceful website like Google or Wikipedia.

Conclusion

Proctoring has enabled institutes worldwide to conduct high-stake examinations in online mode which has made it possible to deliver online courses in a totally online mode with online exams. The proctoring mechanisms make sure that the exams are reliable and malpractice free.

The innovative technology of 360-degree proctoring further increases the reliability of the proctored exams. Recent advances in AI have enabled institutes worldwide to conduct secure online exams without any human proctor. AI proctoring has enabled the conduct of proctored exams with a large number of students simultaneously.

With recent advances in technology, it is very much evident that the adoption of online courses will see a rise in adoption, and technologies like 360-degree proctoring and Auto-proctoring will enable institutes to conduct reliable online exams.