Assign a practice test, early: It is highly recommended that you offer your students a practice test so they may
experience Proctorio or your virtual proctoring setup early in the term. The practice
test should be low-stakes and occur during the add-drop period so that students have
time to drop the class should they decide not to participate.
Be prepared for students to request an exception: A small number of your students are likely to object to the use of Proctorio or online
proctoring. For the Winter and Spring 2021 terms, instructors are not required to
accept students' requests for exception to Proctorio or other video-based proctoring
except as a mandated accommodation sanctioned by the Center for Students with Disabilities.
However, instructors are encouraged to engage their students in meaningful conversations about issues of access and technical
barriers associated with Proctorio.
Consider alternatives: The use of assessments that resist academic dishonesty may help limit the frequency
of frustrated students and faculty!
Instructors Using Proctorio
If you do not have prior approval to use Proctorio, you may not use it during the
Spring 2021 semester. Proctorio may be used only in the limited number of class sections that were advertised
as requiring Proctorio in the schedule of classes. That list of sections is available
here. If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact Academic Affairs.
Use virtual proctoring for a practice test: Incorporate proctoring features into a practice test to help your students avoid
the stress of using this new tool with a high-stakes test.
Use the browser lockdown feature in Proctorio: The browser lockdown option in Proctorio limits dishonesty by blocking a student
from opening multiple windows during an exam. At the same time, the lockdown browser
feature may be thought of as the least invasive tool in comparison to techniques that
require a student to be on camera or microphone during a high-stakes exam.
If you are an approved user of Proctorio, you should complete the Proctorio training module available in
Canvas. Please contact your department chair for more information.
Instructors Communicating with Students
Include informative language in your syllabus: Use your syllabus to share any technical requirements, opt-out policies, or other
procedural details related to your online proctoring setup (including Proctorio).
Refer your students to Proctorio support and documentation: Please point students to the Proctorio support page for their questions regarding privacy and any technical matters.
Set clear expectations for your students: If you are going to use a virtual proctoring setup that requires students’ use of
a microphone or camera, please set very clear expectations with your students about
how their personal space should be organized for your exam. Do they need additional
lighting? What should or should not be visible on their desks? Finally, please be
very considerate of your students’ studying environments before requiring recorded
exams or quizzes.
