Distance Education for Faculty

Online Exam Proctoring for Instructors

 

Instructors Preparing to Use Virtual Proctoring

  • Assign a practice test, early: It is highly recommended that you offer your students a practice test so they may experience Honorlock 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 Honorlock or online proctoring. However, instructors are encouraged to engage their students in meaningful conversations about issues of access and technical barriers associated with Honorlock. 
  • Consider alternatives: The use of assessments that resist academic dishonesty may help limit the frequency of frustrated students and faculty!

Instructors Using Honorlock

  • Do not use Honorlock without prior approval.  Honorlock may be used only in the limited number of class sections that were advertised as requiring Honorlock in the schedule of classes.  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 Honorlock:  The browser lockdown option in Honorlock 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 Honorlock, you should complete the Honorlock 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 Honorlock).  
  • Refer your students to Honorlock support and documentation: Please point students to the Honorlock 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.