3 Reasons why proctoring an exam using Zoom is a bad idea

Lots of people have been asking me about using Zoom to proctor exams. I’ve taught over 100 online courses, between the graduate courses I’ve taught for the Werklund School of Education and dozens of continuing education courses.

Combining that experience with research expertise in academic integrity, I can say that using Zoom to proctor written exams is a bad idea. Here’s why:

1. Zoom is not a substitute for a professional proctoring service

Professional proctoring services are sophisticated, both in terms of technology and operations. Asking an individual professor to proctor an online exam using Zoom as a makeshift solution is a bad idea. Most instructors are not trained on how to proctor online exams.

Given that some instructors are also working from home, while managing child care and family responsibilities, it is even less likely that they could do an excellent job of online invigilation, especially for a large class.

2. Creates additional technology barriers for students

Not all students have web cams or reliable Internet service. Requiring students to have cameras on and stream video during an exam could put some students at a technological disadvantage. If you suddenly require them to buy a web cam, you could be adding financial stress to the equation as well.

At our university, we cannot penalize students if they do not have a video camera. If you did not tell students at the time they registered for the course that a web cam would be required for the course, it is unethical to suddenly make it a requirement partway through the course. If we want students to act with integrity, we must demonstrate integrity in how we run our courses… Changing the rules as you go along just isn’t ethical.

3. Things are not always as they seem

My colleague, D’Arcy Norman, shared this post on how and why the video feed is not necessarily trustworthy. Go read his post. Watch his video. They try it yourself and see how easy it is to create a video background that makes it look like you’re in front of your camera when you’re not. (Hint: It is really easy.)

Besides, if an instructor suspects exam misconduct are they going to use Zoom as their evidence? How would they actually be able to prove it? I mean unless a student has crib notes out in plain view, the case management for that could get messy fast. Chances are high, I would say, that an allegation of academic misconduct could be dismissed (in the student’s favour) if the evidence is not strong enough.

There are few benefits and many potential complications with using Zoom to proctor written exams, especially for large classes. Of course, the exception to this would be individual oral exam where the student interacts in real time with the examiner. That could be do-able via Zoom. In the case of graduate student thesis defences, it may be the only option, but the examination committee must take steps to verify the identity of the student if they are not personally known to at least one of the examiners.

My recommendation is to consider alternate assessments if possible. If it is not possible, then consider a professional online exam proctoring service. Trying to use Zoom to MacGyver your exam invigilation of written tests is probably not going to serve the purpose of upholding integrity.

Note: This post was updated on April 13, 2020 to clarify that I am specifically referring to written exams in this post.

Related posts:

• E-Proctoring: Understanding the debate about invigilating remote exams
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Integrity
• COVID-19, Contract Cheating and Academic Integrity in Online Courses: What you need to know
• Let’s Talk About the Other Pandemic: Academic Cheating
• New book! Plagiarism in Higher Education: Tackling Tough Topics in Academic Integrity

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, and the Educational Leader in Residence, Academic Integrity, University of Calgary, Canada. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the University of Calgary.

Language Learning and Technology (EDER 669.73): Summer 2019 course

I am excited to be teaching one of my favourite courses this summer: Language Learning and Technology (EDER 669.73). This is a fully online course for students registered in the Master of Education (MEd) program at the Werklund School of Education.

Course Description:

This course has been designed for students who want to learn how to effectively incorporate technology in their present and future careers as language teachers. The course will cover both theoretical and practical issues in teaching second language and the use of new technology to support and enhance the learning process.

A special emphasis will be on combining both face-to-face and the use of technologies in and beyond the classroom walls to enhance the second language learning process. Although the course may address the different types technologies such as Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., blogs, wikis; audio and video podcasting; online videos; mobile tools); mobile technology (e.g., mobile phones; MP3 players; digital cameras; camcorders), and other type of interactive technologies, the focus of the course is on the pedagogical and practical aspects of integrating new technology to face-to-face language teaching.

The course is open to second language present and future teachers at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary level. The course also invites language teachers with limited knowledge of the target language to learn how to enhance their language teaching by integrating blended teaching into their practice.

Learner Outcomes:

The intent of this course is to explore the integration of technology to enhance language learning, particularly in in blended or distance environments.

Specific objectives include:

• understand different learning theories informing pedagogical practices, and in particular the TPACK and SAMR models, as they apply to language learning;
• review current research on the learning of additional languages enhanced by digital technologies;
• explore digital mediated communication methods that can be used effectively in distance and blended language learning programs;
• examine current and emerging trends in educational technology as they apply to language learning; and
• design and evaluate language-learning modules integrating digital technology for online or blended environments.

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada. Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the Werklund School of Education or the University of Calgary.

Language Learning and Technology – Showcase of Student Work

This post showcases the work of students in Language Teaching and Technology (EDER 669.73), which is a Master’s of Education course. Students who take this course are enrolled in the Language and Literacy Specialization program.

This showcase features the work of students enrolled in the Summer 2018 semester. The students whose work is featured here have given me explicit written permission to share their projects publicly on my blog. I am so proud of the work they have done in an intensive 6-week course.

These projects are examples of authentic assessment for learning at the graduate level. I challenged students to conceptualize, design and develop a project that they could actually use in their own teaching context. Projects were to be tailored to the age, language proficiency level and context of their learners. The results are individualized to each student’s particular professional practice.

Projects had to be evidence-based, supported by relevant research and grounded within pedagogical frameworks, such as TPACK or some other framework that students selected and provided a rationale for.

Check out the amazing projects they created:

Kiran Basran – Language Adapted English 10: Resource and Collaboration Site for Teachers of LAE 10 – https://kiranbasran21.wixsite.com/lae10

Kirsten Cavanaugh – The Name Jar Project – https://kirstencavanaugh.wixsite.com/thenamejarproject

Renee Clark – Canadian Language Benchmark 6 “Buying a Home” Module – https://ellwithrenee.weebly.com/

Danielle Derosier – Life is a Story! What Does Your Say? – https://oralstorytelling.weebly.com/

Soda Pich – English Speech for Beginners – http://englishspeech.my-free.website

Donna Seitz – Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs – http://summersession.pbworks.com/w/page/127497797/Home%20Page

Jane Tyrell – Student Identity Project – https://jtyrrell1.wixsite.com/student-identity

Man Xu – Stop Motion Movie – https://stopmotion-animation-by-manxu.weebly.com/

Shelam Zhou – Canadian Song Bird – http://blog.sina.com.cn/canadiansongbird

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the Werklund School of Education or the University of Calgary.

The impact of tech on how instructors teach and how students learn

I am thrilled to share a new book chapter that’s just been published. The chapter is, “The impact of technology on how instructors teach and how students learn”. It part of, The Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning, edited by Richard Harnish, K. Robert Bridges, David N. Sattler, Margaret L. Signorella and Michael Munson. It is published by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. (I know, I know, I’m not a psychologist, but the topic fits with one of my areas of interest.)

In this chapter I talk about how technology is impacting educators in terms of their pedagogical knowledge and classroom practice, as well as how tech impacts how students learn.

One of the best things about this book is that is freely available online! You can download your own copy from: https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/useoftech

In fact, the publishers have an entire collection of free books that anyone can download on topics ranging from academic advising to research on teaching, among others. Check them out here: https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php

On a personal note, I have to say that I really appreciate contributing to works that are Open Access, so readers from anywhere can download, read and enjoy. There’s much to be said for this kind of publishing model and as a writer and a scholar, being able to share my work in this way is energizing.

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Opinions are my own and do not represent those of the Werklund School of Education or the University of Calgary.

Dear students, please use your phones in class.

For the past five years or so, I have been teaching exclusively online. But this past fall I was asked to teach a classroom-based course at the last minute due to a health issue with the instructor who was originally scheduled to teach. It was a big shift to go back into the classroom after working online for so long.

Before the course even began I e-mailed the entire class to let them know that I expected them to bring a device (laptop, tablet or phone) to class. I was perfectly transparent that I’d be expecting them to use their devices throughout class for learning purposes to look things up, share information and do projects together during class time.

Students used their devices to take notes, look up articles or websites or whatever they needed. We used Google docs to take notes and work on projects in real time.

It was a 3-hour class, so we also took a break halfway through. I found that most of students took some time during their break to text or check their email. Most of them self-regulated so they were doing personal stuff during break time, but if they did happen to check their e-mail during class, I didn’t chastise them. My attitude is that everyone in a graduate-level course is an adult and they can figure it out.

I aimed to keep my “lecturing” to a minimum. I had students learn through activities, games and projects. They had to work on specific tasks or activities during class, often with a partner or in groups, so they were busy the whole time.

I have changed my teaching approach dramatically over the years. I talk way less than I used to. Now, I focus on having my students engage in more doing and less sitting-and-listening.

Some profs still think it is a good idea to stand up and lecture for 3 hours. If you’re going to do is ask students to sit there and do nothing more than passively listen for 3 hours, you’d better be a spectacularly captivating speaker is all I can say.

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Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.