Does software built to catch online-exam cheats work? Some professors say no – London Free Press

Once touted as the best way to prevent cheating during the pandemic, many professors are abandoning proctoring software.
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Once touted as the best way to prevent cheating during the pandemic, many professors are abandoning proctoring software, citing privacy concerns and other issues.
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Western University professor Jacob Shelley said the use of the software is “highly problematic.”
Shelley, who taught the 3101 health-care law class to a class of almost 300 undergraduates, recently said he believes cheating using AI was widespread on the final exam, which was online, written April 24. He did not use proctoring software during the exam.
Proctoring software works by verifying a student’s identity and remotely monitoring online exams through methods such as artificial intelligence to flag suspicious activity through webcam footage and the computer’s microphone.
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Shelley’s exam was an online, closed-book test that included mul­tiple-choice ques­tions and a writ­ten assign­ment. Stu­dents were pro­hib­ited from access­ing the inter­net and prin­ted resources dur­ing the exam. Shel­ley said 55 per cent of his stu­dents received 90 per cent or bet­ter on the mul­tiple-choice por­tion of the exam. Nearly 10 per cent got perfect.
During the online exam Shelley said he didn’t use proctoring software because “it assumes certain behaviours or writing styles is cheating.
“It’s not uncommon for students with ADHD to get flagged for cheating as they move, look around, talk to themselves,” he said. “It’s also not great at correctly identifying cheating. For example, as a lover of em dashes, I might be flagged for their use, as the software notes this is commonly used by AI.”
Shelley said there are ways “to get around” the software, too.
“Indeed, there are often Reddit threads on how to get around them, and I’ve heard students talk about how easy it is to circumvent these types of programs,” he said. “Proctoring software isn’t effective, and there are many concerns about discriminatory practices.”
Shelley said he uses online exams because “there are practical realities that make online exams more desirable.”
James M. Lang is author of Cheat­ing Les­sons, a book explor­ing the root causes of stu­dent cheat­ing, and a pro­fessor at the Uni­versity of Notre Dame in Indi­ana. He said online proctoring “puts one barrier” in front of students.
“For some students that might be enough . . . every barrier makes cheating a little bit harder,” he said. “That might have an effect on some students, but for those who really want to cheat, they can get around barriers, especially un-proctored, online assessment.
“There is truly no way to protect that fully.”
Soroush Sabbaghan is an associate professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. He used the word “limited” to describe the effectiveness of proctoring software.
“There are so many different ways you could circumvent it,” he said, adding they’re also expensive and there are privacy concerns. “That’s why people here have abandoned them, because they create legal barriers.”
HRivers@postmedia.com
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