Jack Watson

On the necessity (or lack thereof) of digital proctoring: Drawbacks, perceptions, and alternatives

“…Contract cheating can lead to equity issues among students, since those who can afford to pay others to complete their coursework may receive better grades than those who cannot afford such services. Tracing student submissions back to contract cheating websites and continually monitoring these websites can be challenging and time-consuming, although artificial intelligence has allowed for some progress (Graziano et al, 2019;Lancaster & Clarke, 2008).…”

“…An estimated 63% of universities in the United States are currently using digital proctoring, although this may include universities using more lightweight tools (such as lockdown browsers), and it does not show how prevalent such tools are within each university.3 | METHODOLOGYIn the Summer 2021 semester, we surveyed students and TAs in a large online computer science master's program about their familiarity with and attitudes towards digital proctoring software. Most students in the program tend to be mid-career professionals around the age of 30; significant research has already been performed on the program itself and its efforts to detect and deter academic misconduct(Apoorv et al, 2020;Dahiya et al, 2021;Graziano et al, 2019;Khazane et al, 2020;Mason et al, 2019;Sheahen & Joyner, 2016). The program employs many TAs who, in addition to grading assessments and answering student questions, often take an active role in course development and administration(Joyner, 2018).…”