Online Proctoring

About Online Proctoring

Using online proctoring adds a layer of security to distance and hybrid courses while allowing students to take tests outside a classroom or designated testing center. Texas State University has partnered with Proctorio and Examity to provide online proctoring services. Online and Extended Programs makes online proctoring conveniently available in online and hybrid (INT and HYB) courses.

Student outside working on a laptop

Things to Consider Before Using Online Proctoring

Often the advantages and ease-of-use of online proctoring services are easy to see from a faculty perspective and more difficult to appreciate from the student point of view. A few points to consider before adopting online proctoring, making it mandatory for all students, or adopting online proctoring for every (or even the majority of the) assessment in your course:

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  • To use online proctoring successfully, a student must have the following:

    • Access to a computer with a webcam and a microphone (they may not use a tablet or mobile phone)
    • Sufficient internet speed of at least 700 kbps for upload and download
    • Ability (and willingness) to disable pop-up blockers–even on work or borrowed computers

  • A student must take an exam in a distraction-free environment meaning:

    • No one may enter the room (roommates, children, pets, etc.)
    • No extraneous sounds should be heard by the proctor
    • The student must be willing to provide the proctor with a 360° view around the testing location

  • "Latency" will add new factors to testing:

    • Students will wait for a period of time between when they request access to their proctor at their appointment time and when the proctor makes the initial contact. This first period of latency happens with every online proctoring service and with all vendors. The wait time with Examity® was typically small but not zero. When we first tested online proctoring, some students reported up to ten minutes of latency from when they checked in for their appointment and when a proctor became available.
    • Students will also experience a waiting period as the proctor verifies the identity of the student and prepares the test environment. Depending on the readiness of the testing environment and the student, this latency between the first interaction with the proctor and when the test actually begins can take several additional minutes.
    • Fifteen to twenty minutes of total latency between requesting a proctor and actually starting an exam has not been uncommon. 

  • Not all testing types are compatible with online proctoring:

    • Using lockdown browsers and other add-on technologies in addition to the online proctoring service may introduce technical difficulties. We are happy to test these scenarios with you before they are attempted in a live environment with students.
    • Some publisher-produced online testing platforms may also be incompatible with the Examity® service. 
Two students sitting outside using laptops

Getting Started with Proctoring

Examity and Proctorio have been selected to provide online proctoring services to Texas State University faculty and students. Online and Extended Programs coordinates online proctoring services for online and hybrid (INT and HYB) courses. If you would like to request support setting up Examity or Proctorio in your course, please complete a Consultation Request below and select “Online Proctoring” from the service options. 

Important:

Allow time for loading the Examity or Proctorio tool into your course site, preparing your first exam and your students to take it, and giving your students time to book an appointment with the online proctor. We advise setting up proctoring tools before the semester begins. Please plan accordingly.  

FAQ

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