The remote proctored exams dilemma

Join us to hear from Prof. Phillip Dawson, Associate Director of CRADLE - The remote proctored exams dilemma

Remote proctored exams are a type of digital assessment where students are monitored, usually by their webcam and microphone, as they complete a test. Remote proctoring has proliferated during the pandemic as it lets students sit high-stakes examinations in their own homes. Compared to unproctored online exams, students sitting remote proctored exams tend to get poorer grades, which proponents of proctoring often regard as evidence that proctoring reduces cheating. However, critics argue that proctoring is a form of surveillance, and it creates an adversarial, untrusting assessment environment.

Using concepts from assessment security, academic integrity and surveillance studies, this presentation puts remote proctoring under scrutiny and examines the evidence for and against. It offers suggestions for those who are using proctoring on how to minimize its potential harms and maximise its potential benefits. Finally, it sets out challenges for both advocates and critics of remote proctored exams on the sorts of evidence we need to make an informed decision about the use of proctoring.